Extrasolar planets are a fascinating study in the field of astronomy. Since the first one was discovered back in 1992, scientists and planet hunters have confirmed more than one thousand exoplanets out of more than three thousand candidates. An extrasolar planet is any planet outside our own solar system. The importance of finding them is not just for the knowledge they are present in our universe, but to find possible earth-planets as well. You cannot take your average telescope and point to the heavens and find an exoplanet, though. Finding these hidden objects takes different techniques and technology.
For example, the best way to find an exoplanet is to use radial velocity, or better known as, the Doppler Method. The Doppler Method uses the host star’s radial velocity variations of what is thought to be an extrasolar planet, to locate them. Another successful method is the Transit Method. When a planet goes in front of the star’s disk, the brightness of the star decreases. The amount of the star’s dim level during this process determines the size of the planet passing in front of it. There are many different ways for an extrasolar planet to be discovered and confirmed. This list is of the other ways to discover these planets: transit timing variation, transit duration variation, gravitational lensing, astrometry, pulsar timing, polarimetry, and so on.
In the incredible and unimaginably large universe we live in, we have to have technology to explore into the vast unknown of deep space. With the ambition and strive to learn about the darkness in the sky, we have conquered great obstacles and have achieved so much as humans on one planet. We have been to the moon, along with several planets in our own solar system. Technolo...
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...ng and all the other planets and the sun revolved around it. Look how crazy it is to think that now. It isn’t crazy because it is fact that earth isn’t the center.
Technology and knowledge has brought us across great voids that we thought weren’t possible to attempt. We flew to the moon in 1969, but now we have the power to fly to Mars. In the near future, Terraforming Mars will not just be a science fictional idea. It could actually be done. It is a long process to do, but it can be done. Imagine the power of technology hundreds of years from now. Imagine the feats we can accomplish with this technology and then the earth moon seems possible. That is, of course, if we find one there. None of these ideas could happen if this moon earth does not exist. I guess one could say that we hope this earth moon does exist because the human race might depend on it one day.
space and is not centre of the universe, as was believed with the geocentric theory,
Once upon a time we were told of the earth being the center of the universe. The sun, moon, and all planets even unknown were all revolving around our planet. We now look at that statement and wonder in amazement how our species could have pondered such a thought. Through advanced mathematical and persistently working to prove his theory, Rene Descartes transformed yet another one of these worldly assumptions and proved it all wrong.
In Astronomy the geocentric model or view of the universe is the description of Earth being the center orbit of all of earth’s celestial bodies. This model served as the predominant cosmological system in many ancient civilizations such as ancient Greece including the noteworthy systems of Aristotle and Ptolemy. As such, they assumed that the Sun, Moon, stars, and naked eye planets circled Earth.
Supporting the theory that we can colonize mars on mars, Chris Larson wrote, “Liquid water flows, at least sometimes on the planet Mars.” (Larson 1) Needs, such as water, food, and human-survivable climates often aren’t met on other planets, so researchers try to find evidence of these. Water on Mars is a huge breakthrough because of this, as that is one previous limitation of Mars that is now known to not be one. But, there are other options too, such as other exoplanets, as in planets outside of our solar system. “Now scientists have discovered the first Earth-sized exoplanet, dubbed Kepler-186f within the so-called habitable zone of a star.”(____) That is just one example of a recent discovery. Although there might be flaws, it may be plausible to colonize on the surface of a
Although Pluto was discovered in 1930, limited information on the distant planet delayed a realistic understanding of its characteristics. Today Pluto remains the only planet that has not been visited by a spacecraft, yet an increasing amount of information is unfolding about this peculiar planet. The uniqueness of Pluto's orbit, rotational relationship with its satellite, spin axis, and light variations all give the planet a certain appeal.
Pluto: A Planet of the Earth? Many issues have arisen from the debate over whether or not Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers say that Pluto should be classified as a “minor planet” due to its size, physical characteristics, and other factors. On the other hand, some astronomers defend Pluto’s planet status, citing several key features. Indeed, most of the problem is that there is no formal definition of a planet.
...; quest for new frontiers continues today as earthlings burst terrestrial bonds and begin the endless voyage beyond planet and galaxy into the illimitable dark.
Outer space has always intrigued the human mind. Ever since humans inhabited the Earth, they have always looked to the heavens. Ptolemy, who lived over two thousand years ago, dreamed of being with the stars. He said, “I know that I am mortal by nature, and ephemeral; but when I trace at my pleasure the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies I no longer touch the earth with my feet: I stand in the presence of Zeus himself and take my fill of ambrosia” (Tyson). At that time, reaching the “final frontier” was not even remotely possible.
When considering this topic, one might ask themselves why explore space? We explore space to compare other planets with the earth and to study the sun, to explore the universe while finding if intelligent life exists, for satellites to improve communications, weather forecasting, navigation, resource monitoring, and “to create a focal point for a new intellectual renaissance” (Ruzic).
Perhaps one of the most interesting features of our fathomless universe are the planets that are classified as gas giants. Huge, turbulent, and distant, the gas giants are some of the most enigmatic features in our Solar System. I have a personal interest to the gas giants and celestial bodies in general. When I was a child, I was fascinated by our Solar System. I read innumerable books about space, and my interests of outer space had been piqued further by other forms of media. Although I held this interest of space, growing up left me with little time to learn about space, and I lost interest for a while. Taking Earth Science in Milpitas High re-invigorated my interests in the celestial bodies. Using this class, I’m now able to focus on learning more about our colossal universe, in particular, the outer planets.
The terrestrial planets are the four innermost planets in the solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. They are called terrestrial because they have a compact, rocky surface like the Earth's. The planets, Venus, Earth, and Mars have significant atmospheres while Mercury has almost none. The following diagram shows the approximate distance of the terrestrial planets to the Sun.
In 1513, Nicholas Copernicus, composed a brief theory that stated that the sun is at rest and the earth is in rotation around the sun. In 1543, just days before his death, Copernicus published this theory in On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. This theory was meant to dissolve the long lived belief in Ptolemyís theory which stated, "The earth was at the center because it was the heaviest of objects(Kagan331)." This was a common belief at that time, which supported the religious beliefs that the earth was the center of the universe and God in the heavens were surrounding the earth. Copernicusís theory was shocking, but he published such a controversial theory without sufficient evidence, it had to be considered invalid.
Throughout history the definition of planet has changed greatly. The Greeks defined a planet as an object that was a “wanderer” in the sky. This was to say that a planet was an object that changes position relative to the background stars.[3] This included the 5 planets visible to the human eye (Earth was not considered a planet) and sometimes included the Sun and Moon. The definition of planet was changed and reworked until 2006, when the current official definition was created. This definition is as follows: “A planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood
Space has always been a pivotal and utmost important subject for many years. In the past, scientists have made monumental advances in this field such as sending people into orbit and landing a man on the moon. Of course, this has only barely been explored and we still have a lot more to see of the ever-vast outer space. One of the most significant topics of all of science has only been touched and there’s still more to come.
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.