Read this article (click here) and then answer the following in paragraph format. Don't forget to ask another peer in a separate post about their post.
What types of elements present in other stars besides our sun might improve the chances of finding life on a planet in the habitable zone?
How do scientists detect the presence of these elements in distant stars?
What is the habitable zone?
What mission has been sent by NASA to find planets similar to Earth?
What other factors do scientists consider when looking for habitable planets? Describe at least two.
Do you think that there might be planets that could host life? Why is it important to look for these planets? Or is it?
their are certain elements in stars through-out space that scientists look for called "metals" (even though they aren't conventional metals)that could indicate that a star might be in the habitual zone. scientists are constantly searching for these "metals" and to do that they look at the light emitting from the star and analyze its wave-lengths much like a forensic detective might analyze a fingerprint. if the star has the right wave-lengths it might be in the habitual zone, meaning that liquid water could survive on it. to find a planet that is in the habitual zone, the Kepler NASA mission was started. the Kepler mission along with the standard light wave-length analyzing method also look at how hot the star burns and what the chemical composition of the star is to see if it might be in the habitual zone. looking at how hot the star burns directly lets the scientists know what type of chemicals are most likely in the star, and knowing exactly what type of chemicals are in the stars (like carbon-oxygen and magnesium-silicon) let the scientists see if the star has a good change of supporting life.
ReplyDeleteMartin Scott -Blk.2
I was wondering if you think looking for these planets is an important thing for scientists to spend time on.
Delete------Zach Bianchi
I also wonder if you believe there is another world that could substain life on it for the scientists to find
DeleteDylan Amezcua
Metal elements found in alien stars can increase the chances of finding life outside our solar system. Scientists look at the light of stars in the form of waves, whether there visible or not. These can reveal the identity of the materials being observed. The habitual zone of a star is the range from the star in which water is found as a liquid. The Kepler Mission is NASA's attempt at finding planets similar to Earth. These planets would have to be inside the range of their star's habitual zone. Scientists can look at the heat given off by the star or the star's amount of heavy elements compared to the iron in its atmosphere. These are two other methods of analyzing the star. I do think there could be life elsewhere in the universe, but I don't believe it is important to look for these planets until we have a way to make contact.
ReplyDelete--------------------------Zach Bianchi
You don't think that knowing where possible planets with life are can be an important and resourceful tool?
DeleteMichael Wilson - Block 2
Time travel is the most important thing to focus on right now.
Delete----------------Zach Bianchi b.2
Scientists have found traces of meatal in stars as an element. Also found variations of habitable zones. Scientists have detected this by light and the wavelenths. A habital zone is liquid that can survive on a plantets' surface. NASA started the Kepler Mission attempt to find plantes alike earth. For two other factors that scientists look at is the wavelenths and they have found water on some astroids also on Mars that might be able withstand life. It is super important to look at this so we can know what is out there in outer space and also if things can survive such as life.
ReplyDeleteJesse Ramirez Block 3
A interesting fact is that because the stars that are being observed by their lights are so far away that the light that we can see from earth is actually 1000 or more years old. the sun could be dead and we would not know about it for centuries.
DeleteMartin Scott Blk 2
traces of metals, found by scientists, have been found in other stars that are alike to our own star, the sun. scientists have detected these metals by looking at the stars and seeing looking at its light and the color it produces in a wide variety of wavelengths. if the conditions are right we might find ourselves another habitable zone, a location where liquid water is present and can substain life. NASA's mission to find planets similar to Earth is called "Kepler". "Kepler" is a mission to try to find out if there are more habital worlds like Earth. some other factors scientists consider when looking for habitale planets are oxygen levels and knowing what elements are in the stars to see if it is even capable of substaining life. i dont think there is life on any other planet because i dont think there is another planet in the universe that is in the perfect spot, where it is not too close to the sun to burn nor too far away to freeze and in the right spot not to get pumbled by astroieds and metiors. i dont think we should be seeing if there is life on other planets because even if we found some we would have no way of comunicating with them and we wouldnt be able to send people over there with out takeing years for them to reach that planet.
ReplyDeleteDylan Amezcua B. 2
How can you be sure there isn't any other life out there? Since Kepler has found several planets close to the size of Earth and the same distance away from their sun in a similar habitable zone like Earth. Plus there must be a possibility in how the universe is so vast. As many people don't know, it's proven that Earth has been visited by extra-terrestrials. Just look at all the greatest monuments scattered around the world; humans did not construct those alone; they did not have close to the technology as we have today; other worldly beings must have helped them. There must be other life out there; it only makes sense through our past experiences and the additional findings through modern technology.
Delete- Tori Henry, Block 3
Elements known as 'metals' can be found in stars that might indicate a habitual zone. Scientists detect the presence of these metals by studying the light it produces in many different wavelengths. The habitual zone is a zone around the sun where water can survive on planets. NASA started the kepler mission to explore other solar systems for potential habitual zones. Two factors scientists look for are a ratio of heavy metals to amount of iron, and the rate at which a star burns. I definitely believe there is other life out there and i do feel like we should search for it, in order to learn more about the universe and because of all the knowledge we would gain from finding an alien life form.
ReplyDeleteJared Putnam, block 2
If there is other life out there we would never be able to reach it, it takes 3 days to get to the moon, 217 just to get to mars and 5 years just to get outside of our solar system. its highly unlikely that we could get to another solar system to meed this "other life"
DeleteYou spelled 'meet' wrong.
DeleteJared Putnam-Block 2
Along with the main components that generally make up a sun (hydrogen and helium), evidence of heavier elements, known as “metals” (not solid metals we see today), that formed by nuclear fission or the remains of older stars, will increase our chances of finding life on a planet in the habitable zone. Also, it’s highly important to find other essential elements that can lead to finding life on another planet, since they could drastically change the lifetime of a star’s habitable zone; these elements include calcium, sodium, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, aluminum, and radioactive elements uranium and thorium. Scientists today can detect the elements a star contains light years away by observing its light emitted, which arrives in a broad variety of wavelengths; some are visible while most are invisible. The wavelengths of light arrive in ceratin lines or clumps, which unravel the identity and composition of the material(s). All this aids into expanding our knowledge through searching for life beyond Earth. The “habitable zone of a star” is when liquid water is present and sustainable on a planet’s surface, which leads us to ponder if life is really on that planet (as a fact: life exists with the presence of liquid water–which is true with Earth). NASA’s Kepler mission is suppose to detect the habitable zones of similar planets to stars like that of Earth and the sun. They have already found 1100 potential candidates, 5 being close in size to the earth, which is very exciting news to scientists. Other factors scientists are considering when searching for habitable planets are how hot the stars are, depending on their color and brightness, the star’s composition which greatly influences the composition of its planets, and where the location and lifetime of habitable planets are from the sun, in the “Goldilock zones.” I definitely think there are planets with life out somewhere in the universe, since there’s an endless amount of stars and planets, there must be life other than us out there. It’s very important to search for these planets because our advancing technology keeps getting better and better as time goes on and it’s always been our nature to answer one of the most extraordinary questions of humanity: “Is there life other than us out there? Are we alone?” I strongly feel we are not alone, so that’s why we have to prove that theory.
ReplyDelete- Tori Henry, Block 3
Why do you strongly feel we aren't alone? How would react to extra terrestrial discovery? Would you want to find them?
DeleteEmily Moore, Block 2
How would we be able to interact with any other life form other than humans? Also, has there been strong evidence that other life forms have contacted us?
DeleteAmber Alexander Block 2
Another fact of water in outer space is frozen water has been spotted from an Hawaii telescope that an astroid has this. This also shows that H2O is one of the key components to support life. This aslo brings up this theory that we have "proved" this theory.
ReplyDeleteJesse Ramirez, Block 3
Traces of heavier metals are being discovered by NASA scientists in other stars such as our sun. Scientists have been discovering these metals in wavelengths produced by the stars and the color and brightness of these wavelengths. If conditions of other stars prove that they are in a habitable zone it may be possible to find the necessary things for sustainable life. A habitable zone is a planet or star that can sustain a water source like Earth. Many stars and planets are too hot or cold to sustain a water source but in a possible habitable zone it is possible to see water. Many scientists at NASA have been looking at other stars to see and calculate oxygen levels because oxygen levels can determine the lifetime of a star's habitable zone. However, if a star contains too much oxygen within it, it can cause major ultraviolet rays which cause cell damage. Besides oxygen, scientists look for other elements that can be damaging to any for of life in a habitable zone and check to make sure no high levels of these elements would cause issues with a habitable zone. All of these missions by NASA have been called "Kepler" and these missions are to find other planets similar to Earth. I believe that research of the planets in the Milky Way Galaxy are alright and in our atmosphere but moving outside of this area can cause potential danger. I also believe that trying to find another habitable planet is pointless because we might not have the equipment to reach it anytime soon. Communication would be difficult and our Earth has billions of years left of predicted life and its the same with the sun. Either we will keep looking for another life form and another planet to inhabit or we will just let the human race die naturally billions of years from now.
ReplyDeleteAmber Alexander Block 2
Would the human race be able to survive billions of years from now on another planet? This would reduce the need to die out naturally.
DeleteAlexis Wildman Block 2
How do you not know if we are going to die? we could be able to find something to sustain life as we have been for millions of years on our own plant.
DeleteSarah Fahrney
Metal elements are discovered by scientists are present in star besides the sun. Scientists predict the precense by studying its light that it produces in many different wavelenghts. Its habitable zone is a place around the sun where water can survive on the planets surface. Nasa had started the mission called the Kepler Mission to try and find planets that are similar to earth. Two factors scientists are looking for are the heat that is being given off by the stars and seeing what happens when the star burns. Personally i think that there are not any other planets that could host life. Its important to look for these other plants to see if out there in the universe there is more than one planet that has the same habitat and can host life like us.
ReplyDeleteChris Harshman Block 3
Perhaps these other planets could host microscopic organisms though.
Delete=Michael Sunding=
Hydrogen and helium gas are the main structure of stars, but evidence leads to the possibility of heavier elements, or metals, being abundant within the distant suns. These elements are thought to have been acquired from older stars or formed from nuclear fusion. Scientists are able to determine what elements are in a star by observing its light. The light of a star appear as wavelengths that can act as a "fingerprint" revealing what elements that particular star possesses. These elements imply the presence of a habitable zone surrounding the star. A habitable zone is an area around a star where liquid water is able to survive, leading scientists to believe that life is possible in these areas. NASA has begun a mission, known as the Kepler mission, to search for planets in these habitable zones that are similar to Earth. They have found 54 planets that are orbiting in their stars habitable zones, 5 of which are close to the size of Earth. One thing that scientists look at when looking for habitable planets is the temperature of the star. This number can greatly affect the "location" and "lifetime" of the zone. They also look at the quantity of heavy elements within a star; a number that varies greatly. In my opinion, I believe that there could easily be the potential for life in these known habitable zones. Also, I feel that looking for these planets is very important, because these planets could hold vital elements that our planet may one day need.
ReplyDeleteMichael Wilson - Block 2
In your opinion, what is the most important element in discovering whether a planet can sustain life or not?
DeleteAustin Young-Block 3
Other elements besides hydrogen and helium are being found on other stars. These other elements are callled "Metals" and are formed throughh nuclear fission or from other old stars. The presence of these metals can mean that the star is in a habitable zone. Scientists can detect if a star contains these metals is by the way light emits off them. If the lights wavelengths are different or altered, then the metals could be there. A habitable zone means that it can sustain water like Earth, this is because all fornm of life need water to survive and thrive. Nasa has the Keplar Mission which scientists try to fin other planets in habitable zones that have atmospheres simaler to Earth. Factors these scientists consider when looking for a habitable planets are: If the planets sustains water and if it will last long enough to potentially develop life. I believe other plaets could sustain life, perhaps not as complex as Earths but maybe microscopic species. I believe it is immportant because many people want to kno if we are or arent alone in this universe.
ReplyDelete=Michael Sunding=
I agree that it's important, but have you considered the negative effects of these programs?
DeleteJared Putnam-Block 2
Michael, do you think its worth the time and money to find habitable planets that we can't even visit? I know it would be cool to know but in this economy, is it necessary?
DeleteAnthony Allio-block 3
<3
Scientists look for the presence of metals when trying to find a star that is good for life. Stars all have hydrogen and helium but stars also have these metals which change their color and make a difference on their ability to support life. Scientists can detect these metals by these colors, many of the colors that are changed are invisible to the human eye after finding what metals are in a star scientists then look for how habitable it is. and for this they look at the habitable zone, also called the goldylox zone, is based upon weather or not liquid water could be on the planet. in order to find habitable zones NASA started the Kepler program. Two of the factors that Kepler looks at are, if liquid water could be on a planet and how hot the star of the planet is. I believe that life could exist on other planets, but we probably could never reach them. at the rate of space travel we currently have we could not travel quickly enough to make it to the planet. I dont believe it is important to look for other life because it is a waste of money.
ReplyDeleteBut don't you think that in the future when we discover these planets we will have better technology for space travel?
DeleteMorgan Proffitt Block 3
Traces of metal are found in stars other than the sun which could improve the chances of finding life on a planet in the habitable zone. Scientists detect the presence of these elements in distant stars by looking at the wavelengths or spectra of light from nearby dwarf stars. The habitable zone is if water can survive on the planet’s surface and the planet has to be just the right distance away from the star so that the water doesn’t melt or freeze. NASA’s Keplar mission was designed to find other planets similar to Earth. Scientists look for habitable planets that have water and are just the right distance away from the star. I think that there are planets that could host life and we should look for these planets because eventually people won’t be able to live on Earth.
ReplyDelete-Chas Reisinger
Do you think that we will ever find planets that could sustain life in our lifetime?
Delete-Trenton Green Block.2
Stars are made from helium and hydrogen gas but scientists have traced metals which could be from older stars or formed form nuclear fusion. Scientists can determine the elements from stars by looking at its light which give off wavelengths that act as a fingerprint which can reveal what the elements of the star are. A habitable zone is whether a planet can support liquid water for other life forms to live. NASA has sent the Kepler mission where scientists are trying to find planets that are similar to earth. Factors that scientists consider when looking for planets are if the planet can sustain liquid water and the heat of the star. I believe that there are planets that are similar enough to earth that can sustain life but i don't think we currently have the technology to find this planet. I don't believe that this is important to look for other life because it is wasting time and money.
ReplyDelete-Trenton Green Block. 2
If NASA did find a planet that could sustain life, do you think then it would be worth the money?
Delete-Mark Graupensperger Block. 2
Stars, including our sun, are made up of mainly of hydrogen and helium gases. But recently there has been evidence of heavier elements, which are called metals by astronomers, exist on other stars and these “metals” might improve our chances of finding an exoplanet that is within the habitable zone of its star and may in fact be able to support life. Scientists detect the presence of these elements by looking at the spectra of light, wavelengths, which are emitted by the sun. Some of these wavelengths are visible, others are not, but either way the result is like that of a fingerprint and patterns in the wavelengths can be used identify specific materials even on distant suns. A habitable zone is defined as a space where liquid water can survive on a planet’s surface depending upon its distance from the sun in question. If a planet is too close to a sun its water may boil off and if a planet is too far from a sun its water may freeze. The mission that was sent by NASA to find planets similar to Earth is called the Kepler Mission. Scientists on the Kepler Mission also have to consider other factors when looking for habitable planets. These include the life expectancy of its sun and whether the sun burns efficiently, if a sun does not burn efficiently then it releases many more UV rays which are known to cause cell damage. I believe that there are planets out there that have the ability to host life. I also believe that somewhere out there some do. But I do not believe that it is of the utmost importance to look for these planets. We have gone this long without too much trouble and as long we continue to take care of our planet there will be no need to search for planets that could sustain human life until much later. This program is still in its infancy and you would not send a baby out into the world to go fend for itself. You would wait until in evolved at least a little more into a late teenager whose experience is slightly greater than that of the baby so I believe that in this day and age we do not need to be searching for other planets.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Wildman Block 2
The only problem to your hypothesis about waiting to find other life sustainable planets is the bit about taking care of our own planet. What are some ways you think we can care for our planet?
DeleteKeilani Spencer
Block 3
Easily more than 9/10ths of our existence on earth was with a low populated, low technologic population. Ever since the industrial revolution, we have done more damage to the earth than ever before, and we are consuming it's resources very quickly. With medical advances and the availability of medical treatment, people are living longer, consuming more, taking up space. Our population is growing at an increasing rate. Now on a different note, imagine if the portuguese navigators decided that the exploration of the seas was too dangerous, that their navy was in it's infancy. Would you not agree that trial and error is a part of exploration? Many portuguese might of been lost at sea, massive amounts of money might have been spent, but did their discoveries not outweigh their errors?
Delete-Christopher Walton
Block 2
Stars are made up of helium and hydrogen, but recently scientists are discovering "metals" which are found in stars as well. If scientists find a star with a large amount of "metals" making it up, there is larger chance that a planet is habitable around such a star. Scientists detect the elements that make up a star by analyzing the light that the star gives off. The habitable zone of a star is the region around the star that has the right conditions to sustain life. These "right conditions" include a planet having the ability to sustain liquid water that is not frozen or boiling. NASA's Kepler Mission is the mission in which scientists are trying to find planets that can sustain life. Other factors that scientists look for when searching for a life-sustaining planet include, comparing the iron content of a planet to the heavy elements in its atmosphere, and scientists also search for the amount of oxygen, as this determines the lifetime of the habitable zone. I do believe that somewhere out in the universe there is a planet that could sustain life. I, however, do not believe that it is cost effective in this current economy to be searching for this planet.
ReplyDelete-Mark Graupensperger Block. 2
In modern day scientists are beiging to find that some types of metals are found it stars but mostly they are made of helium and hydrogen. They have discovered that if the stars contain a good amount of metal in it it is likely that a planet is nearby. The light that the star gives off shows what kind of elemnets are in the stars. The region around the star that has the right condition to have life is called the habitable zone. This means that no water can be boiling or frozen in the right conditon. The mission where scientists are looking for planets with life on them is called the NASA Kepler Mission. Scientists are also comparing iron to elemnts in its atmosphere, look for oxygens to see if life could exsit on the planet. I think that probabaly there is a whole bunch of life out in the universe and that we should find it but i think its going to take alot of time and better equiment to find life.
ReplyDeleteSarah Fahrney Block 2
How would you react to the discovery of extraterrestrial life?
DeleteKaty Thomas-Block 3
Stars consist of hydrogen and helium gasses as well as trace elements determined to be metals, scientists look at the wave length and light coming off of a star to figure out the amount of metals. the habital zone of a star is an area where scientists can find remains of water. Nasa started up what they called the "Kepler" mission in order to find habital zones on other stars,trying to figure out if extraterrestrial life exists. Two factors scientists use to discover whether a planet holds the possibilty of life are its location to the sun and whether or not the planet contains large amounts of oxygen. The possibilty that alien life does exist is very high in my book it's hard to think that in the entire universe there isn't one planet similar to earth.
ReplyDeleteKaty Thomas-Block 3
when looking at stars, astrologists have discovered that most stars are made up of hydrogen and helium gasses along with elements they called "metals" when in reality we have no clue what they are. Habitable zones according to scientists are areas where such alien life could exist, most of the time these zones contain water. NASA created what it called the "Kepler" mission inb order to search for habitable zones located on far off planets and galaxies. Scientists also look at wave length and light coming off of stars, as well as whether or not the planet can support oxygen and its relative distance from its sun. I believe that other life forms is a huge possibilty but i need to see proof of it before i go believing in aliens.
ReplyDeleteAustin Young- Block 3
Stars have helium and hydrogen in them, but now they are finding metals. Scientists can tell what elements are on a distant planets by looking at the wave length of the light that is emitted from the planet. The habitable zone is the zone is where liquid water can survive on a planet's surface. NASA has launched a mission know as Kepler which is looking planets in the habitable zone, the mission has found 54 planets that may be inhabitable and 5 of those that are similar to the size of the earth. Scientists also look at two important considerations which are the carbon-oxygen and magnesium-silicon ratios of stars, which can affect whether a planet has certain magnesium- or silicon-loaded clay minerals such as magnesium silicate (MgSiO3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), magnesium orthosilicate (Mg2SiO4), and magnesium oxide (MgO). Clay minerals seem to be a good surface to create key components of life, such as the lipid membranes of cells. Yes i think it is possible for planets to host life, and it is important to look for these planets because we are going to run out of resources on this planet and pollute it to where we are going to have to many problems for us to solve on this planet.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Proffitt
Block 3
Stars consist of helium and hydrogen. But recently scientists are discovering "metals" which are actually found in stars as well. Lets say a scientist is looking for a star with the metals and the repercussions of those "metals" would be. The more "metals" that are found in the star the more likely the planet, that the star orbits, is to have life. Scientists are able to detect the elements that the stars consist of by analyzing the type of light that the star gives off. The habitable zone of a star is just the region around the star that has the perfect conditions to have and sustain life. To have these "perfect conditions" a planet must have the ability to sustain liquid water that is not frozen or boiling. Kepler Mission, by NASA, is the mission in which scientists are simply trying to find new planets that can sustain life. Scientists must look for more than one way to sustain life, they can compare the iron content of a planet to the heavy elements in its atmosphere. Scientists also search for the amount of oxygen. The amount of oxygen determines the lifetime of the habitable zone. I do strongly believe that somewhere out in the universe there is a planet that could sustain life. Matbe even multiple planets. On the other hand I do not believe that searching for these planets is cost effective in this current economy. When we have the resources to search I think its important to search. We could find another planet identical to Earth, with people just like us! Therefore it is important to try and find these planets.
ReplyDeleteEmily Moore, Block 2
Many stars contain certain elements that make it more likely that they would be able to have an habitable zone around it that could sustain life. Some elements that if found in a star increases it's chance of sustaining life are carbon, oxygen, calcium, sodium, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and silicon. Scientists are able to evaluate if those elements are present in a star by studying the light it emits. Since different elements produce different wave lengths of light, by studying the light it it possible to tell what types of elements are burning. The habitable zone that the scientists are trying to find is an area surrounding a star that could contain a planet that could sustain life. The NASA based mission that is trying to find habitable zones is the Kepler mission. In order to determine whether a planet is habitable or not, the observe how hot the star is burning and what sorts of elements are found on the planet. Since how hot the star burns sets out the basic parameters of whether or not a planet is in a stars habitable zone, scientists study that to ensure a planets likelihood of sustaining life. If the star is burning too hot and it has baked it's nearby planets dry, it will not be able to support life. Also, if it is not hot enough, the hypothetical water on the planet would freeze, again rendering the planet inhabitable. The elements found in the planet are also important to it's chances of sustaining life. These factors are changed by it's star's composition, such as it's ratio of magnesium to silicon. If a planet has the wrong ratio of that, it is less likely to have a clay based crust, which has been demonstrated by the Earth to be a good way to nurture life. I guess it could be possible to find a planet out there, but it is highly unlikely that the planet would contain any form of life that would be similar to what we have here on earth.
ReplyDeleteKeilani Spencer
Block 3
scientist have discovered stars contain some metals but mostly made of helium and hydrogen. They have also found out that the stars that contain a lot of metal are more likely to have a planet close by. Another way to tell is how much light is being given off, because this shows what kind of elements are on the star. The habitable zone is a region around the star that contains the support to host life. The habitable zone, being sustainable to life means that the water has to be at a temperature of not boiling or frozen. The NASA mission is to keep finding life on planets. I think there are many planets and other space things that contain life, and i think that with time things will be discovered and looked at more deeply.
ReplyDeleteshelby kerstetter
Deleteblock 2
Hydrogen and Helium gas, and also recently discoved metal, is what makes up a star. Scientists have discovered this by looking at wavelengths that often show up in clumps or lines. A habitable zone is the area around the star where a planet with atmospheric pressure can maintain water on its surface. The Kepler mission is being sent by NASA to find planets like Earth. Two other factors that scientist look at when looking for a habitable planet are the wavelengths and the elements on the planet. I think there is a possibility for another planet that could host life on it. The need for this planet is because Earth's population is always increasing which means that one day there may be not a lot of room for all the people to live on the Earth.
ReplyDeleteSchelbea Vrooman
Block 3
Stars are composed of mostly hydrogen and helium gas, but small amounts of other elements can be detected by analyzing the wavelengths given off by the light the star emits. By evaluating the recorded data from the wavelengths, scientists can match a pattern/clump of waves to an element that may otherwise be undetectable by other modern means. Since water fuels life, scientists search areas in space where water could survive on a planets surface; this is called the habitable zone. This zone is the ideal space for a planet to contain water. Too close to the sun, and the planet would be dry, while if the planet was too far away from the sun there would be a frozen wasteland.
ReplyDeleteNASA's Kepler mission has been very successful, finding 54 planets in the habitable zone.
When looking for habitable planets, scientists measure the heat radiated from the star in the system by looking at their brightness and color. They also look for certain elements in the star, like: calcium, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, and even oxygen. All these elements play a small but significant role in the life of a star. It would be very ignorant to say that there is no other planet in space that could host life, or be somewhat habitable to our own human race. It may not be important in our lives, but eventually this solar system will cease to exist as our sun grows bigger and bigger very slightly every year. Disease, famine, war and other horrible things could happen to control our population, but there is no doubt that there is only so many resources on this planet for so many people. Mother Earth did not prepare for a supreme intellectual race to scavenge all of her resources and leave it her dead, she can not provide for so many people. This is why looking for habitable planets is necessary, and we should utilize our technological advances towards this field of exploration.
-Christopher Walton
Block 3
Blast. Block 2*
DeleteA star is made up of Hydrogen and Helium and somtimes can consists of some metals. Scientists have seen these elements in the wavelengths around the star. The habitable zone around the star is the area where a planet can maintain water on the surface. A mission called Kepler that was created by NASA is searching for planets throughout the galaxy that have similar properties and characteristics as Earth and could possibly support life. Because scientists have come to the conclusion that the universe is physically too large for a human brain to comprehend its size, the chances for a planet similar to Earth somewhere in space are good. However, with the technolgy that we have today we may be able to locate a similar planet but we are several years from getting humans there.
ReplyDeleteWade Lewis- Blk.3
Common Wade, its not only the wave lengths they use to find out how much metals are in stars its also the light coming off the stars! Good try though!
DeleteMichael Moore Blk 3
Stars are made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium gas with traces of metals.Elements in stars that may make life more habitable are carbon, oxygen, sodium, aluminum, magnesium, silicon, calcium and titanium. Oxygen was proved especially important. Scientists can see what elements are on stars by looking at wavelengths or spectra of light of nearby dwarf stars. A habitable zone is defined by whether liquid water can survive on the planet's surface. If the sun is too far or too close to the planet water cannot survive. The mission sent by NASA to find planets similar to Earth is called Kelper mission. Certain elements within a star line up with the abundance of radioactive elements which determine the molten interior of planets. Molten interiors are key to plate tectonics which is key to the evolution of life on Earth. Scientists also find habitable zones of stars by seeing how hot the stars are. They do this by looking at their brightness and color. I do think that there could be life on other planets. With a universe so big I think its hard to believe that they couldn't be a planet like ours. But, I don't necessarily think that it is important to look for life on other planets for more than just fact of knowing. Even if we did find life on other planets we don't have the technology to go to that planet.
ReplyDelete-Anthony Allio - blk. 3
Stars are made up of hydrogen and helium gases, but recently scientists are discovering traces of metals in the stars as well. To figure out how much metals there might be in a star they measure the wave length and light coming of the star. Scientists call the places that have water habitable zones. Far away planets could have these habitable zones, so in order to find out NASA created the "Kepler" mission. There are two factors scientists use to discover whether a planet holds the possibilty of life. They are the location to the sun and if the planet contains large enough amounts of oxygen to sustain life. I believe that other life forms are out there, we just havn't found a place yet that actually has these alien life forms.
ReplyDeleteMichael Moore BLK 3