TEACHER
RESOURCE
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY & TIES ON...
TIVI
FACTS, RESOURCES AND AC
S
T
E
N
A
L
P
EXO
SCIENC
CONTEN E
T/
CURRIC
ULUM L
APPREC
INK
IATE
ASK QU THAT SCIENTIS
E
T
OUR WO STIONS ABOUT S
TO INVE RLD THAT LEAD
THAT OP STIGATIONS AN
IMPORT EN-MINDEDNES D
ANT B
S IS
MAY BE ECAUSE THERE
M
ONE EX ORE THAN
PLANAT
ION.
t that is outside our solar
trasolar planet’ – a plane
Exoplanet is short for ‘ex
e other distant star.
the Sun but around som
d
un
aro
g
itin
orb
t
no
system
long before the first one
ts had been suspected
ne
pla
exo
of
e
nc
ste
exi
The
, put forward the idea
sopher Giordano Bruno
ilo
ph
lian
Ita
e
Th
.
red
ve
s in 1584. Actual
was disco
e of their own solar system
ntr
ce
the
be
uld
co
rs
of
that other sta
beyond the technology
however, is difficult. Far
n,
the
ce
Sin
1.
detection of exoplanets,
199
vered until
t exoplanet wasn’t disco
firs
e
Th
ry.
ntu
ce
h
16t
the
covered.
over 2000 have been dis
see a planet in orbit
it is almost impossible to
gy
olo
hn
tec
’s
ay
tod
h
get lost in
Even wit
simply too faint and easily
are
ets
lan
op
Ex
r.
sta
er
around anoth
ly a handful of planets
from their parent star. On
the bright light coming
s existence because of
only know of the other’
We
n.
see
en
be
r
eve
ve
ha
their parent star.
the effects they have on
t repeatedly
ts is to look for stars tha
ne
pla
exo
g
din
fin
of
y
One wa
Earth in response
n slightly away from the
shift slightly toward the
orbiting the star.
of one or more planets
to the gravitational pull
all, completely
the star is extremely sm
of
n
tio
mo
ling
bb
wo
is
Th
with modern scientific
but is often detectable
,
eye
ked
na
the
to
le
invisib
finding exoplanets
equipment. This way of
thod.
is the radial velocity me
rs that periodically
We can also look for sta
ponse to a planet
–
drop in brightness in res
r and blocking out a
passing in front of the sta
light. This is the transit
tiny amount of the star’s
planets. As with the
method of detecting exo
the change this causes
radial velocity method,
tectable with advanced
is minuscule and only de
t with the naked eye!
equipment. Certainly no
ys of detecting
There are a few other wa
ational microlensing
exoplanets such as gravit
t
ts discovered, the transi
terms of number of plane
ul,
ssf
ce
suc
st
mo
and polarimetry. But in
far the
ity method have been by
loc
ve
ial
rad
the
se
d
an
the
d
of
metho
methods. Many
covered by one of these
Kepler space
about 70% have been dis
t few years thanks to the
las
the
ly
on
in
red
ve
co
thod to look
have been dis
kes use of the transit me
ma
r
ple
Ke
,
09
20
in
ed
ich
telescope. Launch
usand candidates of wh
It has found several tho
ts.
ne
pla
exo
l
tia
ten
po
for
confirmed exoplanets.
around one thousand are
hort for
s
is
t
e
n
la
p
Exo
lanet’ a
p
r
la
o
s
ra
t
x
‘e
is outside
planet thratsystem not
our sola around the
orbiting round some
Sun but aistant star.
other d
Kepler Space Telescope.
Image: Wikipedia Commons
Check out these
other resources...
Solar System resource
– http://stardome.
org.nz/wp-content/
uploads/2015/03/
Stardome-Education_
Scale-of-the-SolarSystem_Resource.pdf
Crash Course –
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=7ATtD8x7vV0
DISCUSSION POINTS
ets in our
ts
n
is
la
t
p
n
y
ie
n
c
a
s
m
o
w
d
Ho
How
tem can yeoyue?
ets?
s
n
y
la
s
p
r
o
la
x
o
e
s
d
in
f
h the naked
it
w
e
e
e
h
s
t
is
re
Whe planet?
nearest exo
STARDOME.ORG.NZ
09 624 1246
ACTIVITY
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY &
D
N
I
F
O
T
HOW LANET
AN EXOP
distant star. They use the
dimming of light from a
for
k
loo
ers
om
ron
ast
way from Earth. The
To detect an exoplanet,
ge in brightness all the
an
ch
y
tin
s
thi
see
to
ssible
years away.
strongest telescopes po
ha Centauri B, 4.2 lightAlp
d
un
aro
it
orb
in
be
pected to
nearest exoplanet is sus
INSIDE
OUTSIDE
You’ll need...
You’ll need...
p or torch
A
desk lam
object, smaller
A
round
than the light, like a
ll.
marble, or ping pong ba
t the size of
is represents a star abou
(th
ll
tba
ske
ba
A
Alpha Centauri B)
t about the size
represents an exoplane
is
(th
e
rbl
ma
A
Alpha Centauri B)
of the planet that orbits
Instructions...
o volunteers
Tw
ents
Step 1: The torch repres
Instructions...
t the class
space in your school. Pu
st
ge
lar
the
to
Go
1:
p
Ste
other end.
the two volunteers at the
d
an
a
are
the
of
d
en
e
at on
the other
teer the basketball and
Step 2: Give one volun
the marble.
the very end
nt with the basketball at
Step 3: Put the stude
d the marble
the rest of the class), an
of the field (opposite to
tre in front.
volunteer about one me
lk in front
nt with the marble to wa
Step 4: Ask the stude
of the basketball.
the field
class at the other end of
Step 5: The rest of the
y are
ep
d astronomers, exc t the
represent the Earth-boun
planets.
exo
y
astronomers are from an
much, much closer than
ss in front of
to see the tiny marble pa
It should be a challenge
re the size of
, if Alpha Centauri B we
lity
rea
In
ll.
tba
ske
ba
the
km away
be approximately 8000
a basketball, Earth would
– roughly in Japan!
MARBLE
AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE
orbits.
the star the exo-planet
pass
Switch on the light, and
of
the round object in front
the light.
cks
Notice that the object blo
s.
sse
pa
it
as
y
the light slightl
Take a photo of
your activity and
send it to us.
We’d love to see it!
education@
stardome.org.nz
BASKETBALL
1 METRE
STARDOME.ORG.NZ
09 624 1246