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The earth photographed from 3.7 billion miles away, by Voyager I in 1990 as it left our solar system.

Explore the significance of Earth as a unique and special planet in our solar system through observations and hypotheses derived from Voyager I's distant photograph in 1990. Discover the relationships between liquid water, abundant oxygen, and plant life on our planet and ponder the potential similarities to neighboring planets.

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The earth photographed from 3.7 billion miles away, by Voyager I in 1990 as it left our solar system.

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  1. The earth photographed from 3.7 billion miles away, by Voyager I in 1990 as it left our solar system. How does it make you feel ? Insignificant? Special?

  2. We are alien explorers • We want to investigate the pale blue dot • We need to travel closer • It will take us 5 ½ hours to reach the pale blue dot—traveling at the speed of light.

  3. We’re finally close enough to make some observations

  4. Observation 1: We’re not surprised to see white clouds of H2O vapor and solid H2O ice caps. But oceans of liquid H2O are unique !

  5. Observation 2:We’re not surprised by oxygen (O) but this atmosphere is rich in oxygen gas, O2 What is producing so muchO2 ?

  6. Observation no. 3: There are green patches on the mostly brown continents. The green suggests something unusual

  7. Our Observations of the pale blue dot planet: • Oceans of liquid H2O • Atmosphere rich in O2 • Green areas on continents What is the relationship between these Observations ?

  8. Hypothesis 1: Some process must be splitting the H2O to form oxygen. • Hypothesis 2: The green stuff must be involved in this process. • Hypothesis 3: There is a delicate balance: the atmosphere holds just enough heat to keep H2O in liquid form.

  9. We are in awe. This is a totally unique planet • Oceans of liquid H2O • Abundant oxygen gas (O2) in atmosphere • A special something that can split H2O and release O2 (Us earthlings know the “something” as plant life and the unique process as photosynthesis)

  10. What about other planets in this same solar system--might there be others like this blue planet? Perhaps we should investigate a nearby planet, one that receives about the same solar energy as earth—not too hot and not too cold.

  11. The red planet has no atmosphere and no obvious life forms

  12. But this red planet seems very much like the blue planet: rocky, with evidence of liquid water.

  13. Could this red planet have been warmer and wetter and supported life in the past? Is the history of the red planet the future of the blue planet?

  14. ConclusionsThe earth is unique. It is the only planet we know that has: 1) Oceans of water (liquid H2O) 2) Atmosphere with abundant (20%) oxygen gas (O2) 3) Life!

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