invent an alien…. define: exoplanet a planet that orbits a star other than our own sun a planet...
TRANSCRIPT
Invent an Alien…
Define: EXOPLANET
A planet that orbits a star other than our A planet that orbits a star other than our own sunown sun
First one discovered in?First one discovered in?
19921992How many have we discovered so far?How many have we discovered so far?
228228
Plan for today
Look at a couple of example of exoplanetsLook at a couple of example of exoplanets Invent an Alien!Invent an Alien!
Roll dice to determine the planet your alien lives onRoll dice to determine the planet your alien lives on Design the alienDesign the alien
Include a “smart part” – Include a “smart part” – How does your alien get around?How does your alien get around? Include a “smart action” – Include a “smart action” – What (or how) does it eat?What (or how) does it eat?
We’ll look at some examples before we invent We’ll look at some examples before we invent the alienthe alien..
Exoplanets
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=3105
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2M1207b
First picture of one (maybe) taken in April 2004First picture of one (maybe) taken in April 2004 In orbit around brown dwarf 2M1207AIn orbit around brown dwarf 2M1207A About 3 to 10 times the mass of JupiterAbout 3 to 10 times the mass of Jupiter Takes about 1500 years to orbit its sun Takes about 1500 years to orbit its sun
Brown dwarf
Planet?
Nov 2008 announcements
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/39/
http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/news/hotShots.cfm
We got lucky
Most planets are too close to their sun, Most planets are too close to their sun, and their sun too bright, to allow us to take and their sun too bright, to allow us to take a picturea picture
Scientists use a variety of techniques to Scientists use a variety of techniques to detect a planetdetect a planet
Right now the techniques available work Right now the techniques available work best for large planets that are close to their best for large planets that are close to their sunsun
Light Light, like sound, can be Light, like sound, can be
broken up into unique broken up into unique frequencies (colors)frequencies (colors)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Light_dispersion_conceptual_waves.gif
Detecting the wobble
When an object orbits another object, they When an object orbits another object, they actually both orbit a common “center of actually both orbit a common “center of mass”.mass”.
We can detect that wobble
Change in frequency (of sound or light) of Change in frequency (of sound or light) of a moving object called the “Doppler Effect” a moving object called the “Doppler Effect” for example a police car with siren driving byfor example a police car with siren driving by
And there are other techniques that can be And there are other techniques that can be used tooused too
Doppler effect
Artist impressions of exoplanets
It will be a long time before we can take a It will be a long time before we can take a direct picture of an exoplanetdirect picture of an exoplanet
We really don’t know what the planets look We really don’t know what the planets look likelikeWe can make educated guessesWe can make educated guesses
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2005-10/ssc2005-10c.shtml
Compared to our own solar system's asteroid belt, this one is larger and closer to its star -- it is 25 times as massive, and lies just inside an orbit equivalent to that of Venus.
HD 69830 d is an exoplanet planet orbiting the orange dwarf star HD 69830 (located 41 light years) every 197 days. It is the outermost known planet in its planetary system and possibly lies within its habitable zone. The system includes what is believed to be an asteroid belt.
Planet OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb. Its star is most likely a red dwarf. It’s orbit is 2 to 4 times the size of Earth’s, meaning it gets little energy from its sun. Therefore the surface temperature is estimated as -220C (-364F)
Enough about planets, how about the aliens that live on
them?OK, we don’t know what might live there…OK, we don’t know what might live there…Next 4 pictures and descriptions are from Next 4 pictures and descriptions are from
the following two books:the following two books:Barlowe’s Guide to ExtraterrestrialsBarlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials by Wayne by Wayne
Douglas Barlowe.Douglas Barlowe.The ALIEN Life of Wayne BarloweThe ALIEN Life of Wayne Barlowe by Wayne by Wayne
Douglas Barlowe.Douglas Barlowe.
http://www.waynebarlowe.com/
http://www.waynebarlowe.com/
http://www.waynebarlowe.com/
http://www.waynebarlowe.com/
Life on Earth can seem pretty unusual too…
Thelepus setosus, up to 1 foot (30 cm), tentacles up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) long. Corkscrew gills and grooved feeding tentacles splay from a spaghetti worm, one of the many thousands of worm species that live at sea. This reef dweller protects its six-inch (15 centimeters) body in a sand-and-mucus tube while its appendages drift, snagging detritus and distracting foes.
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature4/gallery1.html
Convolutriloba longifissura, 0.08-0.12 in (0.2-0.3 cm).
An acoel is a tiny flatworm without a gut. Denizen of stony shallows, photosynthetic algae in its skin help nourish it.
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature4/gallery1.html
Chaetopterus variopedatus, up to 9.8 in (25 cm) long
The intricate parchment worm, this one about five inches (13 centimeters) long, is typically well-hidden in a U-shaped tube in the sand—through which it pumps water using paddles at the center of the body. Edible bits are caught and balled up in sticky mucus bags that form below the rectangular head. When disturbed, this remarkable animal can expel
bioluminescent mucus. http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature4/gallery1.html
Postscript
Habitable zones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitable_zone
(habitable for life as we know it, i.e. where the temperature where water is a liquid)
Scientific American Magazine
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-color-of-plants-on-other-worlds
April 2008 Issue
On a world with On a world with a (smaller) a (smaller) cooler, dim star cooler, dim star the plants might the plants might need to be blackneed to be black
Planets around very Planets around very young small stars young small stars would be bathed in would be bathed in ultraviolet light, ultraviolet light, making the only making the only safe place safe place underwaterunderwater