Transcript Interstellar Real Estate - Montana State University Extended University

Interstellar Real Estate:
Location, Location, Location
Defining the Habitable Zone
What makes Earth the perfect home for life
as we know it? Students in this activity
explore the orbital characteristics a
planetary home needs to support Earth-like
life forms
NSTA 2002 Presenters:
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Ed Prather, University of Arizona
Tim Slater, University of Arizona
Alison Simmerman, Honoka’a Hawaii
Donna Governor, Brown-Barge MS,
Pensacola, FL
What is Astrobiology?
Astrobiology is the study of
life in the universe. It
provides a biological
perspective to many areas of
NASA research, linking
such endeavors as the search
for habitable planets,
exploration missions to
Mars and Europa, efforts to
understand the origin of life,
and planning for the future
of life beyond Earth.
Astrobiology Goals:
Astrobiology addresses three basic questions,
which have been asked in some form for
generations. Astrobiology is exciting today
because we have the technology to begin to
answer these fundamental questions:
• How does life begin and develop?
• Does life exist elsewhere in the universe?
• What is life's future on Earth and beyond?
What’s New in Astrobiology?
Interstellar Real Estate
Part 1 Exploration
Activity 1:
The
Goldilocks
Principle
Part 2 Introduction
Part 3 Application
Activity 6:
Activity 2: Why is
There Abundant Life on Recently
Earth?
Discovered New
Activity 3: Defining
Planets
the Habitable Zone
Activity 7:
Activity 4: The Sun is
Marketing Your
a Star?
New Extra-Solar
Activity 5: Size and
Planet
Mass are Important!
Activity: Scale Distance Model
Distance in AU’s & Scale
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Mercury: .39 - 2cm
Venus: .72 - 3.6cm
Earth: 1 - 5cm
Mars: 1.52 - 7.6 cm
Jupiter: 5.2 - 26 cm
Saturn: 9.54 - 47.7 cm
Uranus: 19.2 - 96 cm
Neptune: 30 - 150 cm
Pluto: 39.5 - 198 cm
Habitable Zone: .84 to 1.7 4.2 to 8.5 cm
Activity: Stellar Sorting
Sort your star cards by:
 Distance from Earth
 Temperature
What pattern emerges?
Which stars will support
Earth-like life?
How is the habitable
zone effected by star
type?
Activity: Extra Solar Planets
In addition to having just the
right kind of star, a planet
must also have just the
right mass and be just the
right size to support life!
 Mass - .5 - 10 Me
 Radius - .8 - 2.2 Re
Which extra solar planets
might be JUST RIGHT?
Implementation
Defining the Habitable Zone
The Sun is a Star?
Stellar Classification
Extra Solar Planets
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Astrobiology in the Classroom
NASA – CERES
Project
http://btc.montana.edu/ceres
Montana State
University
Preliminary Lessons
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Designer DNA
Drake Equation
Extra-Solar Planets
Extreme Environments
Habitability Zones
Mission to Mars
Rare Earth
Remote Sensing
Intergalactic Communication
Time Scales
On-Line Courses
National Teacher’s
Enhancement Network
• Astrobiology for Teachers
Related Courses
• Studying the Universe
with Space Observatories
• Comparative Planetology
Interstellar Real Estate