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2011: TWO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN ASTRONOMY AND THE SPACE PROGRAM

2011: TWO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN ASTRONOMY AND THE SPACE PROGRAM. SEARCHING FOR EARTH-LIKE PLANETS, AND FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE. PART 1 : The Search for Other Planets Like Earth (photo – NASA). Do you recognize this planet?.

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2011: TWO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN ASTRONOMY AND THE SPACE PROGRAM

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  1. 2011: TWO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN ASTRONOMY AND THE SPACE PROGRAM

  2. SEARCHING FOR EARTH-LIKE PLANETS, AND FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

  3. PART 1: The Search for Other Planets Like Earth (photo – NASA)

  4. Do you recognize this planet?

  5. What is an exoplanet?Anexoplanet, orextrasolar planet, is a planet beyond the Solar System, orbiting a star other than our sun.

  6. 1992 - first exoplanet discovered1995 - first exoplanets around regular stars were discoveredAs of 2/23/11 – 528 (confirmed)exoplanets have been discovered

  7. At first, all of the exoplanets discovered were GAS GIANTS like Jupiter. They could not support life as we know it.This is almostcertainly because of the method used to find them.

  8. Many exoplanets were discovered using the RADIALVELOCITY Methodalso known as The WOBBLE method

  9. The radial velocity method is based on the gravity of the planet causing the star to “wobble.” The wobble is observed through a Doppler Shift in light

  10. In 2004, the first super-earths were discovered.

  11. The “Transit method” was developed in 1999.

  12. If a planet crosses (or transits) in front of its parent star, then the observed brightness of the star drops by a small amount. The amount by which the star dims depends on its size and on the size of the planet.

  13. The Kepler Space Telescope, successfully launched onMarch 6, 2009, uses this method.

  14. The Kepler Space Telescopeis specifically designed to survey a small region of our galaxy… to find out how common Earth-size planets in the habitable zone are.

  15. The HABITABLE ZONE in astronomy is a region of space where stellar conditions are favorable for life as it is found on Earth. Liquid water can be present!

  16. About one month ago (2/1/11)…Kepler scientists announced the potential discovery of 1,235 more planets. 54 are in the HABITABLE ZONEOf these 54, 5 are NEAR EARTH SIZE!!!

  17. Gliese 581 g is one possibility for an earth-like planet.

  18. artist’s conception of Gliese 581 g

  19. Another way that we can determine if a planet may have life on it is to look at the spectra of the planet – and look forBIOSIGNATURES

  20. In 2007, NASA first directly observed the spectra of two exoplanets. (one of them was HD 189733 b)

  21. Water vapor absorption spectrum

  22. HD 189733 b First Spectra Seen Of… July 2007 – waterMarch 2008 – methaneDecember 2008 – carbon dioxide Artist’s conception

  23. Recently, researchers at STScI have found that a “possible biosignature could come from life's preference for molecules of a particular handedness…i.e. homochirality, (which) is characteristic of life on Earth” FROM: Astrobiology Magazine, a NASA-sponsored online science magazine What is STScI, and where is it located?

  24. “This handedness or homochirality is a fundamental aspect of self-replication," says Dr. William Sparks of STScI "It is a reasonable proposition that life on other planets will exhibit a particular handedness."

  25. The successor to the Hubble Space telescope will be known as theJames Webb Space Telescope It will be launched in 2013 and will allow muchmore in-depthspectra to be measured

  26. What about “closer to home?” How are they looking for extraterrestrial life right now? (or signs that it once existed.)

  27. Part 2: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life in Our Solar System

  28. January 15, 2009 – Methane gas was observed on Mars. This may be a sign of current life on Mars!!

  29. What is the major thing NASA is looking for on MARS?

  30. “The scientific strategy of NASA's Mars exploration can be summarized as “Follow the Water”The habitability of Mars, past or present, is intimately tied to the presence of liquid water”fromLiquid Water on Mars: Is It Still Flowing?By: David Morrison, Senior ScientistNASA Astrobiology institute http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/news_stories/news_detail.cfm?ID=440

  31. June 20, 2008NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian WaterPhoenix Mars Lander

  32. December 6, 2006 – These images suggest that water could possibly still be flowing on Mars!

  33. Why are they spending all of this time and resources looking for liquid water (or evidence that it is – or once - flowed)?

  34. Life as we know it requires 3 things:1. nutrients2. liquid water3. energyThe nutrients appear to be widely distributed…

  35. So the search for extraterrestrial life is often a search for water and energy.

  36. Another question: where else in this solar system is there a possibility of current life??

  37. One possibility: EUROPA – a moon of Jupiter

  38. The surface of Europa is water ice; the core of Europa is hot. In between there is possibly a warm dark ocean - teeming with life!

  39. Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) scheduled to launch 2020 future probe

  40. Artist’s conception of a future Europa mission

  41. Also, there is tiny ENCELADUS- Saturn’s 6th moon. Until the Cassini spacecraft flew by it in 2005, we had no idea that it was special…

  42. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/saturn/moons/enceladus_geysers_video.htmlhttp://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/saturn/moons/enceladus_geysers_video.html

  43. 'Ingredients for Life' Present on Saturn's Moon Enceladus, Say Scientists. Click for articleScienceDaily (Feb. 9, 2010) —University College London scientists.

  44. IT APPEARS THAT DISCOVERING OTHER “EARTHS,” AND EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE IS “RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!” There are so many things happening in space science – even as we speak!OF IT!! Study your science – and you can be a part of it!

  45. Thanks to NASA for most of the images in this presentationhttp://kepler.nasa.gov/ed/xo/index.html

  46. Water is the Key!But why….What’s so special about water?STAY TUNED!

  47. Astronomers have found that stars with planets* have a high “metallicity”and* have much less lithium than similar stars without planets

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