The University 's Lick Observatory, Planet Hunter Team

Turns out calculating the odds of extraterrestrial civilisations is complicated. Astronomer and astrophysics Frank Drake decided to limit his thinking to our home galaxy- and only to civilisations that would be capable of interstellar communication. He identified the conditions that would enable these civilisations to evolve and formulated a mathematical equation (named the Drake Equation) that would help us quantify the odds. Drake’s initial calculation

b. The Milky Way galaxy is home to over 100 billion stars and the Sun is one of those stars.

R* is the average rate of formation for suitable stars. A suitable star must have an appropriate temperature (i.e. not too hot or cold). It is possible to use the average rate for the galaxy. This can get a bit hazy, as the

- Discuss stellar evolution (describing each stage in brief). What forces are opposing one another throughout the life of a star and how do they influence the various stages in the life cycle of a star

UNSWA  -­  University  of  New  South  Wales SCI  -­  Faculty  of  Science PHYS  -­  School  of  Physics Module  3  (Weeks  5-­6)  —  Life  on  Earth  and  in  the  Solar  System PHYS1160-­5144_01311

I) Explain how we can deduce each of the properties and summarize the range of each

on measurements of the planet's brightness. Like all planets, this new one presumably shines by

The Kepler Mission (NASA Discover mission #10) is designed to survey a portion of the Milky Way galaxy to discover Earth-size planets in or near the habitable zone and determine how many of our galaxy’s billions of stars have such planets. Results from this mission will allow the placing of our solar system within the continuum of planetary systems in the galaxy.

The first term, R*, is the rate at which stars in the galaxy form. If I were to take an educated guess on the numerical number associated with R*, it would be approximately one. Originally, Dr. Frank Drake thought R* was closer to 10. When astronomers looked further, they discovered that it is much more difficult to find a star that is exactly what we need when discovering possible habitable planets to go along with it. When coming up with this number, astronomers must first take a general population number of the surrounding stars and take into account the size and the life span the star has as well as comparing the given star to others that fit the criteria that they need for a habitable planet.

Today we have new technology that allows us to do many incredible things. One of those things is the ability to calculate the stars, where they will go and where

multitudes something well known to astronomers: On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars

It is currently March 13,2016, the day I start my journey across the solar system. I have been hired by NASA as an astronaut and given a mission. I am in a spacecraft ready to take off from Washington, D.C. What is being brought with me on this journey is freeze-dried foods, fuel, oxygen, maps of the solar system, and star charts. The planets I am going to come across are earth, venus, jupiter, and pluto. It will take me about 43 days to reach venus. Hopefully I reach venus safely and unharmed.

Since its conception in 1958, NASA has been a pivotal organization in innovative technology and space exploration. With inventions such as the Hubble telescope, or the space shuttle, NASA has provided the world with existential research regarding space. With a renewal of popular interest in NASA, the organization would be able to continue contributing vital research in the medical, and technological fields, as well as the future exploration of space as humans know it, and the future habitation of other planets.

The question of whether life exists beyond our own planet Earth has intrigued humanity since the earliest of times. However, until the last half-century, mankind lacked any useful technology to even attempt to answer the question. Over the last 50 years the onset of advanced rocketry and guided space probes has changed our perspective about the possible existence of life elsewhere in our solar system. Thanks to the innovative exploratory work of advanced space probes, we now know that conditions on certain planetary satellites in our solar system could potentially support life. Such technology has so advanced our understanding of the prospect of life beyond earth that it has given rise to the field of astrobiology, which is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to the study of life elsewhere in the universe.

Uncovering the mysteries of Jupiter is a crucial step for a greater understanding of our Solar System. Being the massive planet that it is, this mysterious planet may hold many answers to how our the Solar System formed and evolved. The understanding of the origins of the universe includes answers even to the formation of Earth itself. Many believe that the research of Jupiter will lead to discoveries on planet formation and the role of giant planets on the formation f stars and other smaller bodies. Mysteries of Jupiter include its composition, what is under its clouds, what is in its core and its magnetic field. Research on the amount of water in the planet will tell us about the