Extrasolar planet Essays

  • Ancient Aliens Research Paper

    1208 Words  | 3 Pages

    Do you ever consider the idea of the aliens visiting the Earth? If so, would that mean that there is a possibility of aliens coming to earth thousands of years ago? What proof is there to support this theory? For years, researchers have been finding surprising pieces of evidence for this theory, such as ancient religious texts, possible interactions with humans, artwork from ancient cultures of strange creatures, ancient artifacts from around the world, or evidence from the Bible. Furthermore, what

  • The Exploration Of Space Exploration

    1666 Words  | 4 Pages

    those stars are many planets. Every since Galileo turned his telescope toward the stars in 1610. The search for life on any other planet has been an ongoing endeavor. At first, we wondered what was out there, and then we wondered what life might be on any of the planets we saw. Then we wondered how many planets there were. That evolved into the stars and the realization that those stars have planets of their own. Moving us onto the question of what life might reside on those planets. The search started

  • Detecting New Planets

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    of new planets, some of which are habitable like earth. There are two methods that scientists use to discover these planets. The first method is called the Photometric Transit or “wink” method. This method relies mainly on a planets orbit across the disc of its parent star in our line of sight. The other method, which is what most scientist use, is referred to as the wobble method. Through this method, we predict the presence of planets by the effect they have on the star they orbit. Planets outside

  • The Existence Of Exoplanets

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    1.0 Introduction For centuries, humankind has speculated the existence of planets outside of our own solar system (NASA Website). These planets, known as exoplanets, orbit a star other than the Sun (Ridpath, 2012). In the 20th century, Edwin Hubble observed “islands” surrounded by stars far beyond our solar system (NASA Website). This observation proved that there is potential for habitable planets other than Earth (NASA Website). There are two dates mentioned for the discovery of the first exoplanet

  • Trying to Locate Extraterrestrial Life

    1895 Words  | 4 Pages

    Imagine that out of the infinite stars and planets in the vast universe, only one solitary planet can sustain life. Heavily disputed arguments have arisen about whether humans are the sole intelligent beings in the universe. Scientists continuously search for the answer, but the search has not as yet yielded positive results. Billions of dollars have been spent in research, causing controversy about whether scientists should invest in the hunt for extraterrestrial beings. Due to inadequate technology

  • The Human Genome as Evidence of Life on Other Planets

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Human Genome Since the beginning of human fascination with outer space, the question “Is there life on other planets?” has existed and has waited to be answered. Early astronomers looking to find life on other planets were brutally punished by the Catholic Church. For years, people saw these astronomers as heretics for going against the church and undesirable, but today there might be evidence that supports these astronomers. Today, we find that people are still split between believing in alien

  • Should Kepler-186f Be Colonised?

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    whether or not the planet Kepler-186f should be terraformed and colonised by humans. Kepler-186f is located in the Kepler-186 system, around 500 light years away from Earth. It is the first Earth-sized planet found in the habitable zone, meaning that it orbits its host star at a distance where liquid water would be able to exist (NASA, 2015). Considering this, the question of whether or not it would be able to sustain human life comes to mind. Not enough is known about the planet, so there is a possibility

  • Are we Alone In the Universe

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    Do aliens exist? For eons, mankind has pondered over this peculiar question and a revealing truth has yet to be answered. However, one thing is known for sure, the discovery of intelligent alien life outside of Earth would provide support to prove and/or disprove fundamental beliefs that have been held for centuries. In any case, the discovery would serve as a cornerstone for humanity to make the quantum leap in understanding the purpose of our existence. Based on numerous examples, it is impossible

  • La Silla Observatory's Telescope

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chile is home to many traditions, foods, experiences and mysteries. But one of Chile’s greatest attractions is its view of the stars, from La Silla Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (owned by European Southern Observatory.) GENERAL INFORMATION The Very Large Telescope at La Silla Observatory is actually more than just one telescope. Four “Unit Telescopes” work together to provide extremely high-resolution images of the cosmos. The scopes have large lenses for gathering light, at 8.2 meters across

  • Kepler Research Paper

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler, “is a space observatory launched…to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.” Kepler does this by searching for planets within our galaxy that have a similar size to Earth within a habitable zone. A habitable zone is a distance between the planet and its star where water can exist on the planet’s surface. Additionally, Kepler is aimed at searching for planets with similar one-year orbits like that of Earth. As technology advances on Earth, increased standards

  • Essay On Exoplanets

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Exoplanets, also known as extrasolars, are unique planets that are not in our solar system. In fact, around 1,800 of these planets have been discovered dating all the way back to 1992 when the first exoplanet was discovered. However, the first exoplanet discovered orbiting around a star was called 51 Pegasi B and was founded in 1995. There are many different kinds of exoplanets that range and vary greatly. Some examples of these exoplanets are gas giants, pulsar planets, hot jupiter, and many more

  • The Existence Of Extraterrestrial Life

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hubble Space Telescope, Kepler Drone, and numerous agencies and research groups around the world, the search of extraterrestrial life has become increasingly supported (Search for Extraterrestrial Life). Given the huge number of galaxies, stars, and planets estimated to be in the universe, there is a high probability that life has arisen somewhere besides Earth, and the Drake Theory agrees, (What are the odds there is life in outer space?). In 1961 Frank Drake produced a formula that has been debated

  • An Analysis Of The Kepler Mission

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    astronomy’s biggest inquiries of all time. The Kepler Mission was launched in March 2009 to analyze a sector of the Milky Way galaxy in order to ascertain dozens of Earth-size planets within the habitable zone (Jerry 1). By applying the transit method, NASA scientists would conclude the amount of stars containing habitable planets which has revitalized the question of extraterrestrial life. Through the state of the art spacecraft and specially designed methods, NASA has met many of the fundamental objectives

  • Brown Dwarfs

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    sit between the lines of being a star and a planet. This object is dim and hard to distinguish from low mass stars at the early stages of the dwarf’s life. They are often called failed stars because they start their life the same way as regular stars. However, in some stage, they just didn’t have enough mass gathered to generate the fusion-powered energy of a star. Scientists are certain that brown dwarfs are the missing link between stars and planets but the formations of dwarfs are still a mystery

  • The Lost City Of Atlantis: The Mystery Of The Bermuda Triangle

    1267 Words  | 3 Pages

    ranging from aliens, to the lost city of Atlantis, the different possible causes of this mystery are endless. Some writers have blamed UFOs for the disappearances, as they believe that aliens can use the Triangle as a portal to travel to and from our planet Earth (Christodoulou). This is suggesting that the area is like a gathering station where they capture people, ships and aircraft to conduct their research. Theorists believe the fabled lost city of Atlantis could reside under the Triangle, and that

  • HD 106906 b: The Mystery Planet

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 2013 a team of astronomers discovered a new planet eleven times more massive than Jupiter and 650 astronomical units from it’s star. It’s relatively new, only 13 million years old, and still glows from leftover heat from it’s formation. This planet defies many of the limitations scientists know about star and planet formation. It’s too far away from it’s star to have been formed by gathering asteroid-like bodies from the creation of the star or to be made of dust and gas clouds in the primordial

  • Super-Earths in The Universe

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    you ever wondered about planets like the one in the move Avatars? You know, thought are there any planets similar to that one in our universe. Well in a way there are. You see, there are planets in our galaxy that astronomers have found that just might fit more of a realistic version of what you may have imaged. These planets are called Super-Earths and some of them may even be habitable. However, there hasn’t really been strong evidence of traces of life on these planets so far but scientists more

  • The Habitability of Planets in the Universe

    2190 Words  | 5 Pages

    universe? Is anything or anybody out there? These are age old questions, asked from people of all ages and races. But the first questions we need to ask are if it is even possible? Are there any other planets out there that are habitable? What does a planet need to be habitable? Without a habitable planet life cannot sustain in the universe, the search for life in the universe has been long and hard with no results proving life to exist outside of earth. The most predominant searchers of those at the

  • Drake Equation Research Paper

    2201 Words  | 5 Pages

    This symbol represents how many planets per star system exist in the habitable zone. Roughly, I think it is about 0.22. The habitable zone is an area where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist. Water is a key essential for intelligent life and in order for intelligent life to exist, there has to be liquid water. In the mission Kepler, Kepler has actually found 603 planets, 10 of which are Earth size and orbit in the habitable zone, where conditions

  • Is There Anyone Out There?

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    earth in its context, amongst billions of galaxies, stars, planets, and an infinite universe, earth is a mere grain of sand on the beach that is space. With this in mind, one may, quite understandably, find it hard to believe that earth is the only planet that sustains life. With today’s advanced technology and science, extensive evidence has been found suggesting a great likelihood of life on other planets. The discovery of life on other planets has huge implications for humankind, as it would likely