Transcript Presentation - The Stimulating Physics Network

EXOPLANET PROPOSAL
Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
All measurements are relative to
Earth (e.g. mass, radius, etc.)
INTRODUCTION
Today we face a huge problem. The Earth has not
only run out of minerals, fuel and elements to mine
for fuel, the Sun is nearing the time in its life
where it is expanding and turning into a Red
Giant. This means that temperatures are soaring;
the Arctic has already been lost. In a million years,
the Earth will be inhabitable- but we face a more
looming problem.
INTRODUCTION
We have received a message in binary code that has
been translated. It says: "People of Earth, your
attention please. This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the
Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council. As you will no
doubt be aware, the plans for development of the
outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a
hyperspatial express route through your star system,
and regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for
demolition. There's no point in acting all surprised
about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders
have been on display in your local planning department
on Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years, so
you've had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint
and it's far too late to start making a fuss about it
now.“*
*As predicted by Douglas Adams in ‘The Hitchhiker's
Guide To The Galaxy’
INTRODUCTION
This is from our neighbouring galaxy Andromeda,
and they are scheduled to arrive in about 350
years. Emergency space-programmes have been set
up, and countries have made alliances- including
rival superpowers the United States of America
and Russia. The message is clear: if the human
race is to survive, then we must find another
planet- and fast. Scientists have been working
around the clock to locate another planet, and
several candidates have emerged: BML-0798a,
BML-0798b, BML-0798c and BML-0798d.
EXOPLANETS
WHAT IS AN EXOPLANET?
An exoplanet is also known as an extra solar planet
and is a planet outside of our solar system. That is,
it does not orbit our sun (the exo prefix means
outside in Greek). Until now, scientists have found
mainly gas planets, which are easier to find than
small or rocky planets, as gas planets are usually
massive, like our resident gas giants Jupiter and
Saturn.
This is
exoplanet
Kepler 22b.
WHAT IS AN EXOPLANET?
Scientists think there are many billions of planets in the Milky Way
galaxy, not only occurring in solar systems, but it is believed that many
are free-floating planets, which means that they were either never
gravitationally bound to a star, brown dwarf (small body with low
mass, star too cold to start nuclear reactions) or any other such object,
or it was ejected from its system. The nearest know exoplanet to us is
Alpha Centauri Bb. We could try to communicate with potential
inhabitants of these planets, but we would have to send signals in
wavelengths like infrared, radio or visible. The wavelengths would
have to be different than natural signals. If we tried to communicate
any other way, it may not work as we may not know if the inhabitants
would be sufficiently developed form a technical or intellectual point of
view.
This is
exoplanet
Alpha
Centurai Bb.
THE TRANSIT METHOD
THE TRANSIT METHOD
To detect exoplanets, scientists analyse light curve
graphs. When a planet passes between our line of
sight and a star, the brightness of the light dips.
This is not the luminosity of the star dimming, it is
the planet blocking light from it. This is called a
transit. However, this can only be used with
exoplanets that cross our line of sight and have a
star behind them. Also, they need very strong light
detectors and telescopes to locate them. We have
replicated this, and the video is on the next slide.
REAL TRANSIT GRAPHS
The graph we got from our experiment looked like
this:
REAL TRANSIT GRAPHS
However, graphs scientist analyse can look like
this:
THE HABITABLE ZONE
WHAT IS THE HABITABLE ZONE?
The habitable zone-or the goldilocks zone- is the area
around a star where there could be liquid water. The
light from a star gives off just the right amount of
heat, like in goldilocks and the three bears. The
distance between stars and their planets are
measured in Astronomical Units or AU. For example
the distance between the earth and the sun is 1AU.
THE HABITABLE ZONE EQUATIONS
The goldilocks zone depends on the size and
brightness of the star. If the star is very large
and bright the goldilocks zone will be further
away from the star, and the goldilocks zone will
be closer to the star if the star is smaller and less
bright. The Earth is the only planet in our solar
system that is in the goldilocks zone.
We can calculate the habitable zone by doing the
following equations, with l being the luminosity
of the star compared to that of the Sun:
Inner edge= √L×0.7
Outer edge= √L×1.5
THE HABITABLE ZONE OF THE EXOPLANETS
We calculated the habitable zone for the solar
system BML-0798 by doing the following:
Inner edge= √L×0.7
=√0.024×0.7
=0.1084435337…
=0.108 AU
Outer edge= √L×1.5
= √0.024×1.5
=0.2323790008…
=0.232 AU
EXOPLANET RATINGS
Planets that are in the habitable zone in the solar
system BML-0798 have to be between 0.108 AU
and 0.232 AU away from the star. Therefore:
BML-0798a- 10/10 as it’s in the habitable zone.
BML-0798b- 10/10 as it’s in the habitable zone.
BML-0798c- 0/10 as it’s not in the habitable zone.
BML-0798d- 0/10 as it’s not in the habitable zone.
DIAGRAM TO SHOW THIS
Here is a graph to show the habitable zone of the
exoplanets:
GRAVITY
WHAT IS GRAVITY?
Gravity is found everywhere in the universe
between all objects. The exact definition of
gravity is in dispute. Some scientists believe it
is made up of particles called gravitons which
travel at the speed of light; other scientists
believe otherwise. However we do know what
it does and why it is needed.
Gravity is scientifically referred to as
"acceleration due to gravity" or "gravitational
field strength".
Sir Isaac Newton famously discovered that
gravity is the force of attraction that exists
between objects and that a force is required to
change the speed or direction in which an
object is moving.
A Newton meter doesn't measure the
gravitational pull required for an object to be
moved, nor was it invented by Isaac Newton!
It was in fact named in his honour.
WHAT IS GRAVITY?
Gravity from a specific object has an infinite
distance in all directions. However, the strength of
the gravity becomes significantly less as the
distance decreases. The moon’s gravity affects the
ocean tides on Earth but cannot be noticeably felt.
At the centre of the core of the earth the
gravitational pull is 0 as the Earth’s entire mass is
exerting gravitational pull equally in all directions.
The gravitational pull in the Dead Sea is therefore
lower than that of Mount Everest. However, just
below the surface gravity increases until you reach
the section between the outer core and lower
mantle as the Earth's core is substantially denser
than the outer layers.
To see a demonstration of how gravity works, see
‘Isaac Newton’s Discoveries’.
WHAT IS GRAVITY?
Mass is measured in kg or lb and
weight is measured in Newtons. If
you went to the moon, your weight
would be approximately a 1/6 of
what it currently (which is why
you can float on the moon) is but
your mass would stay the same as
Newtons is the force you exert in
relation to the gravity. As the
gravitational field strength on the
moon is less your weight is too, but
mass stays the same because mass
is a measure of matter, and that
doesn’t change.
HOW GRAVITY IS CALCULATED
Gravitational field strength varies from place to
place across the Earth, in addition to planet to
planet. This is because the amount of gravity is
calculated by:
Gravity = Mass/radius squared
The gravity varies due to the Earth not being a
perfect sphere- it is an ellipsis shape; a squashed
sphere that bulges in the middle. Nearer the
equator gravity is less as the distance between the
surface and the centre of the earth is greater. An
experiment done by scientist proves that gravity
varies across the globe.
KERN THE GNOME
Kern is a very important piece of scientific
equipment in the shape of a garden gnome – an
object whose mass cannot change. This is because
it cannot gain mass from consumption of food or
lose it from exercise. Nor can air get into the gnome
and interfere with the results as there are no pores.
Kern has travelled across the world and been
weighed to see how gravity varies from place to
place.
KERN THE GNOME
In the experiment a set of precision scales pre-calibrated to
local gravity at Kern HQ, Balingen, Germany was used.
They’re accurate enough to show the relatively minute
differences recorded, accurately.
Kern weighed most in the South Pole's Amundsen-Scott
Research Station (309.82g) and second most in London
(308.66g). His weight dropped over 2g to 307.56g in Mumbai,
which is a lot closer to the equator so closer to the Earth's
core. An underground laboratory recorded a low result as
well. Scientists say you can weigh 0.5% more or less whilst
travelling around the world.
DOES GRAVITY VARY ON OTHER PLANETS?
An experiment like the Kern the Gnome one would
be rather costly to undertake on another planet so
it has not been done, however scientists do believe,
following other evidence and scientific formulae,
that gravity varies approximately in the same way
that it does on Earth.
EXOPLANET GRAVITIES
We calculated the gravity of the four proposed
exoplanets. They were:
BML-0798a
M=4, r=2 so m/r squared is 4/4 =1 PERFECT
BML-0798b
M=27, r=25 so m/r squared is 27/125 = 0.43
(POSSIBLE) LOW GRAVITY
EXOPLANET GRAVITIES
BML-0798c
M=25, r=49 so m/r squared is 25/2401= 0.01 VERY
LOW GRAVITY
BML-0798d
Mass=4 Radius=16 so m/r squared is 4/256= 0.02
VERY LOW GRAVITY
RATINGS OF EXOPLANETS
BML-0798a- 10/10 as the gravity is identical to
Earth’s.
BML-0798b- 7/10 as the gravity is too low for us to
live for a long time, and would affect our bodies.
We could live on it for short periods of time
though, but with plenty of exercise.
BML-0798c- 0/10 as the gravity is way too low for
our bodies to function properly.
BML-0798D- 0/10 as the gravity is way too low for
our bodies to function properly.
EFFECTS OF GRAVITY ON THE BODY
The gravity on Earth is 1g. It thought that humans
could not live for long periods in conditions below
0.5g or above 1.5g as their body would be affected.
EFFECTS OF LOW GRAVITY ON THE BODY
Humans wouldn’t be able to live on a planet with very low gravity.
Some people say that there are benefits of living with no gravity such as relief to back pain,
poor circulation being improved in addition to with some surgeries becoming simpler to
perform. This however, is not true as low gravity would cause its own problems.
Bones would become brittle as they would be less dense. This would be because the bones
would stretch and lengthen as there wouldn’t be a downward force on you lowering the limit
of your growth. Astronauts have been known to have growth spurts as their bones as there
is less calcium for a certain amount of bone, osteoporosis becomes more common.
Low muscle density would occur as it would also be harder to be as active as less effort
would be required to exercise – this would also affect that strength of the heart. This can
mean that when astronauts return to Earth their hearts are weaker.
Everyday tasks to become difficult for people as things would float off.
It would also be harder to become active and fit on a low gravity planet as less effort is
required to exercise.
Immune systems would be weakened, leading to higher risk of infection and disease.
EFFECTS OF HIGH GRAVITY ON THE BODY
The effects of very high gravity on the human body are
unpredictable, as no person has ever experienced such
conditions long term. 2.5g is the gravity on Jupiter and
it is thought that people wouldn't be able to survive as
their bodies would be crushed from the constant
pressure. Gravity of over 1.5g can also cause problems.
Carrying around possibly double your body weight - so
even if you have a low body mass you would seem
unhealthier - can result in joint problems.
High gravity has the opposite effect on the heart to low
gravity so the heart would have to work harder which
would be harmful to people with weak hearts. Blood
pressure would increase to unhealthy levels so hearts
would be put under a lot of pressure. Continuous
strain on the heart and arteries would result in them
being worn out quicker, shortening life spans.
Blood vessel damage would become more common,
therefore varicose veins would be more common.
More effort needed to move about on the surface so
your muscles and joints would be stronger and denser.
DENSITY OF EXOPLANETS
HOW TO WORK OUT THE DENSITY OF EXOPLANETS
To work out the density of an exoplanet:
mass of the planet/volume of the planet.
We depend on the planet’s density to determine
whether it is a solid or a gas planet. The easiest
way to work out if it is a gas or a solid planet is by
comparing its volume with its density. Gas planets
–like Jupiter and Saturn- tend to be much larger
than small rocky planets, like Earth.
WHAT WE CAN TELL FROM DENSITY
Therefore, we can work out that if a planet has a
large volume but a small density, it is a gas planet.
However if it has a small volume and a density
that is large compared to its volume, we can
assume that it is a ‘rocky’ planet. For example a
planet with large volume and small mass would be
a gas planet. This is because its volume is huge
compared to its mass. However if a planet had
small volume and large mass, we can assume that
it is a ‘rocky’ planet as it has large mass compared
to its volume.
DIAGRAM TO SHOW THIS
Here is a diagram to represent densities and what
we can determine from them:
This is the
mass relative to
Earth’s.
DENSITIES OF THE EXOPLANETS FORMULA
We worked out the densities relative to Earth’s
instead.
Density=mass/volume Volume=4/3πr3
Therefore, volume is proportionate to r3.
Density= Mass (relative to Earth)/radius (relative
to Earth)3
DENSITIES OF THE EXOPLANETS
BML-0798a
4/23=4/8=1/2=half Earth’s density
BML-0798b
27/253=0.0017=0.17% of Earth’s density
BML-0798c
25/493=0.00021=0.021% of Earth’s density
BML-0798d
4/163=0.00098=0.098% of Earth’s density
DENSITIES OF THE EXOPLANETS RATINGS
BML-0798a would be a solid planet because it is half of
Earth’s density, but it does not have the density to have
an iron core like Earth, which means no magnetosphere
or ‘central heating’ to heat us up again if we went into
an ice age, like what happens on Earth. However, it
would be habitable. 7/10
BML-0798b would be a gas planet because it has a very
small density, so it would be uninhabitable. 0/10
BML-0798c would be a gas planet because it has a very
small density, so it would be uninhabitable. 0/10
BML-0798d would be a gas planet because it has a very
small density, so it would be uninhabitable. 0/10
ATMOSPHERE
ROLES OF THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere is very important
to human life. Not only does it trap
the very air we breathe, it protects
us from harmful radiation from the
sun like gamma rays and
ultraviolet light. Mars has a very
thin atmosphere, which is why we
couldn’t live on its surface like on
Earth.
THE MAGNETOSPHERE
However, it did used to have an atmosphere. The atmosphere acts as a
shield to us, but the atmosphere itself needs a shield. We have a
magnetosphere, which is why we have a magnetic field. This
magnetosphere protects the atmosphere from intense solar wind and
high-energy particles emitted during solar storms which could
otherwise blow away the atmosphere, like it did on Mars. NASA has
found evidence to suggest that Mars lost its magnetic field nearly 4
billion years ago, not long after its formation. Without the protection
of the magnetosphere, the solar wind and storms could have scoured
Mars’ atmosphere and eliminated it entirely over about a billion years.
So, we’re hoping that the exoplanets have magnetospheres, otherwise
we’re going to live underground for a very long time, and satellites like
we have on Earth are going to be near impossible to send up.
ATMOSPHERE
Scientists can tell which elements are in the
atmosphere by using a spectrograph, which splits up
light passing through the atmosphere into the
spectrum. Different chemicals in the planet's
atmosphere absorb some of the star's light, causing
black lines on the spectrum, called absorption lines.
These lines can be shown in a graph as well which is
called a Spectral Graph. Below is an example of a
planet with sodium in its atmosphere.
ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL
SOME ELEMENTS IN OUR ATMOSPHERE
Oxygen is needed so that our cells are able to
respire and change it into carbon dioxide and
glucose.
 Water is needed as it makes up 75% of our
bodies and keeps us hydrated.
 Carbon Dioxide is needed as plants use it to
produce oxygen (photosynthesis) which we then
use to produce carbon dioxide, so it is essential
for both humans and plants.

BML-0798A
This planet is one
that we could
probably live on as it
has water, oxygen
and carbon dioxide
which are all
elements that
humans need to
survive. No other
elements are
mentioned, but these
three are in suitable
amounts.
BML-0798B
This planet is also
one that we could
probably live on as
it has water, oxygen
and carbon dioxide
which once again
are elements that
humans need to
survive. No other
elements are
mentioned, but
these three are in
suitable amounts.
BML-0798C
This planet could also
be habitable as it has
three elements needed
for humans to live herewater, oxygen and
carbon dioxide. No other
elements are mentioned,
but these three are in
suitable amounts.
BML-0798D
This planet is not habitable as
it has no water, although it
has Oxygen and Carbon
Dioxide. Water is very
important to life on Earth
because:
•Our bodies are 80% water.
•Water serves as a lubricant
in our digestive system.
•It helps to regulates our body
temperature through
sweating, which then causes
evaporation which lowers our
body temperature as
(temperature=average energy
of particles).
•Plays a vital everyday role in
washing, etc.
Here are some more roles of
water.
ROLES OF LIQUID WATER IN LIFE
Water is mostly in ice form in the universe, but is
needed as a liquid to play a role in life. Life
(probably) needs a solvent that has to be active,
flexible and diverse in its roles. Water is currently
the only known substance that can do this.
Water is obviously essential for human life, as
mentioned before. But what about alien life forms?
Alien life forms could probably not have adapted to
life without water. Without water, life simply
cannot be sustained. Water is what lubricates the
workings of the cell, transports the materials and
molecular machinery from one place to another
and facilitates the chemical reactions that keep us
going. It takes away waste and brings nutrients to
where they are needed. Without water, plants
would die. Some cells can avoid death if their
water is extracted, but then they shut down
utterly until rehydrated.
BEST PLANET ATMOSPHERE
•BML-0798b has the best atmosphere for humans as it is the closest
to Earths spectrograph although it is still quite possible for human
life to exist on BML-0798a and BML-0798c, as they contain the right
elements.
VOLATILITY
HOW VOLATILE ARE EXOPLANETS?
When discovering planets, volatile refers to a group
of chemical elements and compounds that have a
low boiling point – for example nitrogen, water,
helium, hydrogen and all those elements and
compounds associated with planets or moons crusts
and/or atmosphere’s. If an exoplanet has a lot of
elements or compounds with high boiling points –
which are called refractory substances – the planet
is less volatile.
HOW VOLATILE ARE EXOPLANETS?
Certain elements or compounds that have an
exceptionally low freezing point, such as hydrogen
and helium are classed as gases, whereas elements
and compounds with boiling points of over 100K
are referred to as ices. This can be confusing, as
the terms ‘gas’ and ‘ice’ in this context can refer to
solids, liquids and gases – for example, Jupiter and
Saturn are called Gas Giants, when the majority of
the gas is actually extremely hot, highly dense fluid
that gets even more dense the closer you get to the
centre of the planet.
HOW VOLATILE ARE EXOPLANETS?
So, if an exoplanet contains lots of volatiles at the
right amount – which is hard to come by - the
planet itself is classed as habitable . You can tell
which elements and compounds are in an
atmosphere by the use of spectrographs and
examining absorption lines – certain colours in the
spectrum being absorbed by elements or
compounds in the atmosphere.
So far, Earth is the only planet in the entire
universe we have found that has the perfect
amount of volatiles for sustaining life, but
scientists and astronomers still hope to find an
exoplanet that fits the criteria and could be
habitable.
HUMAN LIMITATIONS
HUMAN LIMITATIONS- SLEEP
We as humans need sleep to survive. Without it
we become irritable and eventually it starts to
be a difficulty to do tasks such as: think, recite
the alphabet, seeing, hearing and talking. This
is because your body uses sleep to restore your
energy which you may have used during the
day. It also helps you recover from injuries and
illness'. Many people (if not all) find it easier to
sleep in the dark (like at night). If it is needed
for us to leave Earth then we will need to find
a planet that spins on it's axis at a similar rate
to Earth otherwise we may find that days are
too long for us with too little amounts of night
where we can sleep. Or the days may be too
short for us leaving us in darkness for longer
than we would be on Earth. Eventually, we
would evolve to these different conditions, but
it would take time and a lot of getting used to
on the behalf of all humans. This could limit
the amount of exoplanets available to us,
unless we decide to take the risk.
HUMAN LIMITATIONS- G-FORCE
A limitation of humans is G-force. To get to
faster speeds whilst travelling to a different
planet we, as humans will need to be able to
withstand G-force. This is because many
exoplanets are quite far away, so we will need
to travel incredibly fast to get to these planets
because supplies can only get us so far. G-force
is the force caused by the acceleration of an
object. With training humans can reach up to
9G (the measurement of G-force), before losing
consciousness. Prior to this we would have lost
our colour sight. However, without training
most people would only be able to stand
around 5G.
BEATING G-FORCE
Recently though, scientists have used the same method that
occurs naturally in giraffes when they stoop to drink. Logically
thinking, their blood should rush to their head. However, it
doesn’t because this would harm the creatures. Using the same
method that stops blood rushing to the head of a giraffe,
scientists have managed to create a suit which is then worn by
humans and this can help us stay conscious at 9G. The person
doing the experiment also did a Rubix Cube to prove that he
could still see in colour. Here is a video of this experiment from
the BBC 1 show: "Richard Hammond's Miracles of Nature“, with
our own commentary.
For a video of g-force, open
‘G-force video’.
SURFACE AREA
SURFACE AREA
The surface area of a planet tells us how much space there is
and so whether it would be sufficient for our population. A
very large surface area also makes it more likely that a
planet is a gas giant however we can check this for certain by
measuring volume and density.
Assuming that planets are perfectly spherical (which
obviously in most cases they’re not – the earth has different
levels and bulges in places) we can calculate the surface area
using the equation 4πr2 where the radius is compared to
that of the earth with the earth’s radius being 6 378.1
kilometres. All of these planets have a larger surface area
than the earth however this does not mean that they will
have larger habitable areas as they may have very large
places of extreme temperatures and much land covered by
water.
SURFACE AREA CALCULATIONS
Earth - 4π*6378.12 = 511,000,000 km2 (3sf)
BML-0798a – 4π*(2*6378.1)2 = 2,040,000,000 km2 (3sf)
^roughly 4 times that of the earth because the radius is
twice the size and 22 = 4
BML-0798b – 4π*(25*6378.1)2=320,000,000,000 (3sf)
^roughly 625 times that of the earth because the radius is
25 times the size and 252 = 625
BML-0798c - 4π*(49*6378.1)2=1,230,000,000,000 (3sf)
^roughly 2401 times that of the earth because the radius
is 49 times the size and 492 = 2401
BML-0798c - 4π*(16*6378.1)2=131,000,000,000 km2 (3sf)
^roughly 256 times that of the earth because the radius is
16 times the size and 162 = 256
DISTANCE AND TRAVEL
WHAT IS A LIGHT YEAR?
The star in the solar system BML–0798 is 11.4
light years from earth. Although the term ‘year’ can
be defined in a number of different ways, the
International Astronomical Union regards a year
as a Julian year, i.e. 365.25 days, making the total
number of seconds in a year 31,557,600. The speed
of light, unlike the year, is a universal constant
measuring at 299,792,458 metres per second.
DISTANCE
This means that the length of a light year (a unit of distance –
not time – denoting the distance light can travel in a year) can
be calculated as:
31557600*299792458 = 9,460,730,472,580,800 metres in a light
year
This means that 11.4 light years is:
9,460,730,472,580,800*11.4 = 107,852,327,387,421,120 metres
The speed of light is, according to the theory of special relativity,
the maximum speed at which all energy and matter in the
universe can travel. There is little friction in outer space so most
engines are, in theory, only limited by the speed of light however
current engineering factors (such as the availability, weight and
strength of fuel) prevent today’s spacecraft from travelling long
distances at high speeds. In order for anything with a mass to
reach this phenomenal speed it would require infinite energy
and so, although theoretically it is possible to reach up to
99.999...% of the speed of light, to actually travel at the total
speed would require more than the total amount of energy in the
universe.
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE?
This means that if we travelled at 10% of light speed, it would
take 114 years to get to the star of the BML-0798 solar
system.
This is a little optimistic however, as rockets today can only
travel at tiny fractions of the speed of light meaning that we
need much engineering development in order to travel to the
galaxy BML–0798 in 12.54 years.
1% would be unlikely, but more reachable. At 1% of speed of
light, it would take 1,140 years to get there.
With current technology, a much more feasible speed would
be 0.1% of the speed of light, it would take 11,400 years to get
there.
The question is: would we last that long on the spaceship?
Technology is going to have to move faster so we don’t have to
worry about that.
TECHNOLOGY
Telescopes
TYPES OF TELESCOPES
Optical telescopes can be used on Earth and in
space. An example of a huge optical telescope in
space is the Hubble Space Telescope through which
astronomers can look out across the Universe
without the distortion of light by the Earth's
atmosphere. The first optical telescope was created
400 years ago, while the other kinds of telescopes
were invented in the 20th century.
TYPES OF TELESCOPES
Radio telescopes also can be used on Earth or in
space. An example of a radio telescope on Earth is
the Very Large Array of 27 antennas lying across
New Mexico. Radio signals received from deep
space received by the VLA are combined
electronically to create a virtual antenna which is
22 miles across.
TYPES OF TELESCOPES
Infra-red telescopes are affected by Earth's
atmosphere. They are operated at high altitudes,
as they must be above water vapour in the
atmosphere, or else they can operate in space. They
are most often found on mountaintops. The large
Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) was
launched in 2003. Hubble also observes in infrared
light.
Unfortunately, it is very hard for exoplanets such
as the ones we have been studying to be observed
by telescopes, as their light is so much fainter than
their parent star. Fewer than 5% of exoplanets are
observed directly known as November 2011. For
this reason, although useful for explorations closer
to home, telescopes aren’t very often used as a way
of distinguishing exoplanets.
MORALS
Should we even leave Earth?
SHOULD WE EVEN LEAVE?
Some people believe that we shouldn’t even leave.
These views are in the minority, but are still
prevalent.
AGAINST LEAVING
We all have these grand ideas of moving to another
planet when ours has either run out of resources that
we need to survive, or we have destroyed the planet
ourselves, but have we ever stopped to think about how
other life forms may react to us wanting to join their
civilisation. We have all had the thought that any other
intelligent life would invade our own planet and that we
would defend it against them, but have we ever thought
that maybe alien life forms have seen us destroy our
own planet and therefore do not want to share their
planet with us. Maybe the planet we choose to go to
does have alien life forms on it and they themselves are
running out of supplies. Is it fair to take what little they
have to support our own needs?
FOR LEAVING
Then again, many people would help others if and when
they can. Surely it would be unfair for alien life forms to
turn us away, even if they had limited resources,
because they should remember that one day they will be
in the same position as we were. With us we would take
technology and life from Earth (plants and other
animals). We could teach other life forms about this
technology (provided that they are not as
technologically advanced as us) and about what we
have discovered and found out through science. Also,
culture could be shared between us. This may help
them, so the idea of going to another planet is not
completely selfish as we, in return would probably help
them as much as we can in the circumstances.
CONCLUSION
WHY LEAVE?
Despite all the threats to our planet, people may not
wish to leave – choosing to spend their last days in their
home instead of sacrificing their quality of life so that
future generations can survive. The fact that the threat
is so distant – several lifetimes away – also makes a
desire to stay more likely because people themselves
will not be affected-their descendants will.
The habitability of the planet, though likely, is not
certain until we arrive and our journey will force an
entire society into a very small space. We think that it
would be against your human rights for us to force you
to leave your home however we hope that people will
think of the future generations and join us in our
mission.
TABLE OF RESULTS
Exoplanet
Habitable
zone
rating /10
Gravity
rating
/10
Density Atmosphere
rating
rating /10
/10
Average
rating
/10
BML-0798a
10
10
7
9
9
BML-0798b
10
7
0
10
6.75
BML-0798c
0
0
0
9
2.25
BML0798d
0
0
0
0
0
THE BEST EXOPLANET
From the table of results, it’s clear that BML-0798a
is the best exoplanet to live on. Humans could
survive well on there- provided that we ever get
there.
With the Vogons due to arrive in 350 years, the
question is:
What now?
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING