TEACHER
RESOURCE
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY & TIES ON...
TIVI
FACTS, RESOURCES AND AC
HUNT FOREARTH
ANOTHER
Since the early 1990s,
red
astronomers have discove
it
orb
in
s
net
pla
thousands of
, of all
Yet
rs.
sta
e
anc
dist
und
aro
know
the planets that we now
known
is
ich
wh
one
y
onl
the
of,
own
y
ver
our
is
to support life
ly does
Earth. Life almost certain
verse,
exist elsewhere in the uni
know of
though. The planets we
fraction
today are just a minute
ected
of the billions that are exp
ne.
alo
y
Wa
y
Milk
to exist in the
is
While not impossible, it
out of
extremely unlikely that
Relative sizes of Kepler habitable zone planets (artist impression). Image: NASA
nets in
the billions and billion pla
.
life
has
th
Ear
y
onl
the universe
can support
whether or not a planet
main factor in deciding
quantities. If a
ant
ific
sign
Scientists think that the
in
net
pla
if
id water can exist on the
will boil away. Likewise,
life, is whether or not liqu
too hot, and any water
be
will
it
r,
d.
sta
soli
its
ze
to
se
free
planet is too clo
cold and any water will
its star, then it will be too
e from its parent star.
anc
a planet is too far from
dist
t
righ
the
just
net must be at
To have liquid water, a pla
e or the Goldilocks zone.
wn as the habitable zon
kno
d
ban
row
nar
a
in
g
Orbitin
us and
beyond the orbit of Ven
Solar System starts just
only planet whose
the
is
th
The habitable zone in our
Ear
but
rs
Ma
of
same
ere around the orbit
extends out to somewh
their habitable zone in the
t all solar systems have
No
e.
es
zon
zon
le
the
de
itab
insi
hab
y
e
orbit is full
n the Sun and hav
ch smaller and cooler tha
out.
her
furt
es
zon
le
place. Many stars are mu
itab
e hab
larger and hotter and hav
a planet.
much closer. Others are
ty that life will exist on
ran
gua
not
s
doe
e
zon
le
itab
hab
osphere,
the
atm
k
in
Merely being
s might have a very thic
e into play. Some planet
com
no
s
e
tor
hav
fac
ht
er
mig
oth
ers
ny
Ma
expect. Oth
far hotter that one would
Mercury or
like Venus, and thus, be
perature fluctuations, like
tem
wild
to
ed
ject
sub
are
from their
and
all
on
at
iati
e
rad
her
osp
from
atm
tic field to protect them
gne
ma
a
lack
ht
p. Some
mig
elo
e
dev
our Moon. Som
d to give life time to
a star that is too short live
it
dom
orb
ran
ht
mig
ugh
ers
thro
Oth
but
r.
sta
able for life
ons that are perfectly suit
might even have conditi
.
ped
chance life never develo
The Kepler
mission is on the
hunt for terrestrial
exoplanets.
To date, Kepler
has found
1,041 confirmed
exoplanets with
4,696 still to be
confirmed.
resources... planets
Check out these.disotcovheery.rcom
/space/alien-life-exo
http://news
photos.html
Latest exoplanet news:
able-exoplanets-catalog.space.com/18790-habit
ww
://w
http
life:
e
hav
planets that may
Known exo
S
T
N
I
O
P
N
O
I
S
S
DISCU
E
SCIENC T/
N
E
T
N
CO
INK
ULUM L
CURRIC AT SCIENTISTS
H
OUT
CIATE T
APPRE UESTIONS AB
EAD TO
L
ASK Q
T
A
H
ORLD T
THAT
OUR W ATIONS AND
IG
ESS IS
N
D
INVEST
E
D
IN
RE
OPEN-M ECAUSE THE
NT B
N
A
T
A
R
H
O
T
IMP
MORE
MAY BE LANATION.
P
ONE EX
Might there be
t circumstance
en planet tha
s where
Imagine adninaliwater, with no
lif
e
co
ul
d
ex
ist on
is covere all. What might life
a
w
or
ld
ou
ts
t
ide
dry land a on such a planet?
th
e
ha
bi
ta
e
k
bl
d
li
e
look
ically advancea
g
lo
zo
o
ne
n
of
ch
a
te
st
a
ar
?
Could
velop on such
(Hint: yes!)
civilisation indet: probably not.)
world? (H
STARDOME.ORG.NZ
09 624 1246
ACTIVITY
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY &
CREATE:
world that is
Design an alien
porting life and
capable of sup
n it.
tures that live o
design the crea
PLANET
Planet name:
r,
Planet details: (size, colou
nts)
me
chemicals and other ele
ALIEN CREATURE
Alien creature name:
Creature details:
Take a photo of your activity and send it us.
We’d love to see it! [email protected]
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