Transcript Evacuate Planet Earth - thephysicsteacher.ie

Evacuate
Planet Earth
The fate of the human race is in
your hands…
Imagine if…..
Scientists predicted that the
surface of our beautiful planet
was to disintegrate with in the
next 500-1000 years.
The surface would be overtaken by molten
lava
The seas would evaporate
Plant and animal life could not be sustained
FOR HUMANS TO SURVIVE WE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE EARTH!
It’s down to you to decide….
…..where we are going?
To help you decide the world’s best scientists
have come up with six possible options
What you can assume….
• Assume that we do/will have the
technology to create “self sustaining bio
spheres” . In other words…
We can create structures to contain our own
air, grow the food, generate heat and
recycle the water we need to stay alive for
a long time.
Option 1:
The Moon
Moon Facts
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384,400km from Earth
No atmosphere/air
Exposed to meteorites
Water ice may be present at
the poles
Temp -173 to 127◦C
Humans have been on the
moon
No magnetic field... Danger
from the “Solar Wind”
1 moon day = 1 earth month
Gravity is one sixth the
strength of gravity on earth
Option 2:
Mars
Mars Facts
• Closest temperature to the earth
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(still can get to -133◦C in winter
Thin carbon dioxide atmosphere
Length of a day is nearly the same
as on earth
5.25 earth months to travel there
Gravity is about a third as strong
as on earth
Mars is plagued by giant dust
storms
The frozen polar caps are mostly
made of carbon dioxide but there
may be a little frozen water too
Option 3:
Venus
Venus Facts
• Nearly identical in size to the
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earth. May have similar
composition
3.5 earth months to get there
Dense carbon dioxide
atmosphere: 90X the pressure
of earth’s atmosphere
25km thick cloud containing
concentrated sulphuric acid
Average temp 467◦C
1 Venus day= 243 earth days
No magnetic field. No
protection from solar wind.
Option 4:
Jupiter’s Moon “Europa”
Why not Jupiter itself?
• 18 earth months away
• It’s the largest planet in the
solar system but it’s a GAS
GIANT
• It has no solid surface
• It has a very strong magnetic
field creating intense radiation
belts that would kill you.
Europa facts
• Jupiter’s second largest moon
• Same size as our moon
• May be the only other place in
solar to have watery seas.
• Most of the water on the moon
is frozen solid.
• No atmosphere
• Average temp -170◦C
Option 5: Out of our Solar System
Out of our Solar System Facts
• Since 1995 we have confirmed the
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existence of at least 200 other planets
out of our solar system
Some predict that half the stars in our
galaxy may have planets…..that makes
50 billion planets to choose from!
Most planets found are gas giants but
rocky planets are starting to be found.
The distance involved are unimaginably
large. At current space travel speeds
generations of humans would spend all
their lives on spaceships.
In 2007 the first potential “earth like”
rocky planet was found orbiting the
star Gliese 581. This star is 20.5 light
years away and in the constellation of
Libra. With temperatures between 0 40 deg it may have liquid water.
Option 6: Permanent Space
Station/Colony orbiting Earth
Space Station Facts
• We may not need to leave
earth altogether just it’s
surface.
• Earth could remain a good
source of materials.
• Unless we can generate
artificial gravity systems we
would have to live in
weightless conditions
• The man made problem of
“space junk”
The rest is up to you…