Blog 8: Solar Systems

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Catherine Sack
Planets - NASA Science

From this course, the endless amount of planets, comets, stars, etc. shocked me the most. Our solar system is so much more than just the 8 planets. I learned about numerous objects and history that is still in our solar system to this day. Also, learning about geological activity introduced me to the fact that life could have existed on some planets millions of years ago.

When learning about the solar system, I was always curious about life on other planets and if we knew it existed or not. This course taught me that we could detect life on other planets, and that currently Earth is the only truly habitable planet with life on it. With the lack of many planets in the “habitable zone” of the sun, the idea of life as large as it is on Earth on a different planet is not very realistic.

Astronomy has made me appreciate the scientists hard work they have put in to gather so much knowledge about what contributes to our solar system. Without these discoveries, the origin of Earth and information we have on other planets would not exist.

After taking this class, I would want to dig deeper into what planets looked like before they became geologically dead. This is a very long process, so seeing the before and after of a planet is very interesting as this will happen to Earth at some point in the future. Learning about the signs that a planet is becoming geologically dead would be interesting to see is Earth has shown any of these slight signs.

This class has changed my opinion on what an astronomer looks like and does because it had widened my view of what they study. Their discoveries are more than just stars and planets, their research includes things such as moons and the actually origin and environments on planets. Their responsibilities include researching and experimenting to gain more knowledge about our vast universe.

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Astrobiology

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Catherine Sack
ESA Brainstorming on Astrobiology - ExoplanetsWorkingGroup - Cosmos

Astrobiology is defined as the study of life in the universe. This includes the universe’s origin, future, and evolution. It includes techniques ranged from astronomy, geology, chemistry, and biology. Studies include not just within Earth, but outside on other planets as well. One of its main focuses is life outside of Earth. This field of study is relatively new as more space missions have occurred over the past decades.

An example of an astrobiology study is the exploration of the origins of life. Scientists find these answers through the chemistry of early oceans. The composition and chemistry helps tell scientists how life evolved from these waters. Scientists also look for biosignatures for signs of life outside of Earth.

It is important to know that astrobiology has not yet proven the fact that life exists outside of Earth. However, significant progress has been made with the help of new technology and new studies. It has identified planets as being habitable, showing that life could or could have existed.

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Astro2110 Reflection

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Justinc
Composition of Jovian planets; surprisingly a big portion of these planets are composed of liquid matter!

I learned many things about the solar system this semester. The topic I learned that was the most surprising to me was the composition of the Jovian planets. Despite being known as gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn are mostly composed of liquid and metallic hydrogen. Furthermore, although Uranus and Neptune is largely made from gaseous hydrogen, they are also composed of water, methane, and ammonia. Makes me wonder why they call them gas giants when they are more liquid (or a big portion is also liquid).

In the beginning of the course, I wanted to know if life was possible outside Earth. Despite not getting a 100% confidence answer (due to being unknown), it made me appreciate how Earth is perfect for life and other planets are either way too hot, way too cold, toxic (for us), or any combination of these. However, it was interesting to know that some planets and moons do have the chemical compounds for life, but scientists are still unsure if life exists on these celestial bodies.

James Webb Space Telescope, the current most powerful telescope created launched late 2021.

One thing I appreciate about astronomy that I didn’t before taking this class is the difficulty of finding new things about space. Although scientists are finding new things in space, the technology and science behind these new findings are fascinating. For instance, to be able to calculate/estimate the mass of an exoplanet (that is several light years away!) through the amount of light it covers from its star (and other methods like light shifting) is mind boggling and sounds like it was made up.

After taking this class, I learned and became more interested on the Oort Cloud and what could be beyond our solar system (but also relatively close). To think that there are billions if not trillions of icy objects the size of small moons surrounding the solar system is intriguing. I’m aware that most of these icy rocks most likely won’t have anything interesting, but to think that these are (theoretically) the objects that creates comets are interesting to me.

Despite all the things I learned in this class, it hasn’t changed my opinion on what astronomy looks like. Before this class, I was slightly aware of the magnitude of space and everything about it, but now I am more aware of what space is like. If anything, it made me appreciate the crazy math and tools astronomers use to observe space (like having telescopes in Earth’s orbit, calculating the orbit so that probes can reach their destinations, observing things light years away from us). It really makes me wonder what the limit of space is.

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Is There Life Outside Earth?

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Justinc

A common question many people have asked is if there is life outside Earth and in the Milky Way Galaxy. Current observations and technology have not progressed enough to give a conclusive answer to this exciting and concerning question however people are still searching. One astrophysicist/astrobiologist named Frank Drake came up with an equation to argue that life may exist on the Milky Way Galaxy (that’s not on Earth).

The Drake equation which determines the probability of finding life by multiplying factors that allow lifeforms to make contact out of their own planet.

The Drake equation consists of seven different variables that tries to answer the number of civilization in the Milky Way galaxy where communication might be possible (the N of the equation). The seven variables are:
R* = The average rate of star formation in the Galaxy
fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets
ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planet
fe = the fraction of planets that could support life that actually develop life at some point
fi = the fraction of planets with life that go on to develop intelligent life
fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence to space
L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space.

R* is estimated to be around 1.5-3 years; fp is estimated to be 1; ne is estimated to be roughly 0.4. Now fe, fi, and fc are between 0 – 1 (0 being impossible and 1 being guaranteed), but is impossible to estimate with scientific evidence as no other planet was found to harbor life (fe) and thus is even harder to estimate fi, fc, and L.

Due to the nature and the arbitrary values/estimations for fe, fi, fc, and L, people do not view this equation as fact but more of like a thought experiment. Even though that may be the case, it is still an interesting equation to ponder about.

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Beyond The Solar System (ASTR 2110)

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Matthew Marcus
Hipparchus, ancient greek astronomer

One thing that surprised me from this course was learning how gravity rounds out and differentiates the interior layers of planets. I suppose I had never really considered how the planets in our solar system formed, and I must have assumed that denser material simply gathered first and less dense material collected on top of it. It is difficult to conceptualize the amount of force gravity exhibits for it to overcome the rigidity of rock and shift the internal components of solid celestial bodies.

Looking back to the beginning of the course, the subjects I expressed interest in were the differences between planets, the sun’s surface, the possibility of life on other planets, and the changes to the solar system over time. While these are all interesting topics, the material that I found most exciting was not what we know but how we know it. Spectroscopy, exoplanet detection, and the way that a planet’s surface teaches you about its history were some of my favorites.

One thing that I newly appreciate about astronomy is the level of precision and amount of detail that astronomical methods can capture. Astronomers are able to calculate the masses, speeds, and compositions of celestial bodies, model our solar system’s creation, and extrapolate the age of the universe. From the careful measuring of light, distance, and other simple metrics, we’ve gathered and derived a huge amount of information.

I would love to continue to learn about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, whether that is microbial or “intelligent.” How is it that we came to know of the different extremophiles on earth? What kind of chemical signals are suggestive of lifeforms? What are we actively doing to search? Do most astronomers expect to eventually find life in our own solar system? Is there a radius beyond which intelligent life would remain practically undetectable? If even microscopic life was discovered, what would be the implications for our understanding of the universe? Clearly, there is much to consider.

I think I now truly understand that astronomers are not just observers, but also physicists, mathematicians, and engineers. Astronomy is not merely mapping the sky but collecting and processing data. It’s decoding signs, measuring almost imperceptible changes, and testing hypotheses.

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Cumulating Final Post

Posted on December 6, 2024 by jasonljohnson465

After 7 choruses, back to the head out.

Image from NASA

Writing this blog has been an interesting experience, and I feel like I learned a lot. The most surprising things I learned about was retrograde motion and how it worked. Before this course I had the term tossed around, but I didn’t know what it actually meant.

Now I understand the concept and was surprised that a planets orbit can look as if it’s going backward. I feel as if I’ve gained a lot more in depth information on material covered in class that a I didn’t before. This is especially the case regarding telescopes and its different elements, such as angular resolution and how they reflect light.

I have also grown to appreciate the work astronomers put in to analyze just to analyze the solar system. I found it interesting seeing the different methods used to analyze exoplanets around a neighboring stars. It was an interesting glimpse into just a small part of the work astronomers put in to analyze and work toward understanding our universe.

This course has inspired me to look deeper into Extremophiles, one of the last topics we discussed. While doing my research for my last blog post, I found these creatures extremely interesting with their extreme resilience to life ending environmental conditions. The idea that these creatures can even exist in the vacuum of space or in extremely cold/hot planets if fascinating. They have expanded human knowledge on the limits of life, and are insightful in future explorations into the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

The course has helped to refine my idea of what the work of an astronomer looks like. By studying the methods astronomers use to analyze certain things in our universe and looking into certain astronomers, I have a slightly clearer image of what working as an astronomer would entail. Overall, I would say my opinion on the work of an astronomer has changed for the better as I now know more clearly what that work entails.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed my time writing this blog and being in this course.

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Blog 8 Culmination Post

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Elias Ibrahim

dwarf planets

One of the most interesting things I learned in this class was the sheer amount of dwarf planets are solar system is home to. For the longest time I have only considered Pluto and Ceres. When I found there was many dwarf planets as well as 5 main ones I just found it as a surprise because I was so used to only knowing Pluto. Another aspect this of this that was a surprise was the fact Ceres is apart of the asteroid belt, breaking the notion that dwarf planets are far distant bodies from Earth.

jovian planets

I wanted learn the most about the Jovian planets since I knew little about them. As the course went on I had more interest in the jovian moons and had new insights on where life could possibly in the solar system rather than a planet like Mars. Before the class I feel I did not have these insights about the conditions for life on the jovian moons.

exoplanet

As we learned about exoplanets I learned how they were detected. I always assumed they were directly seen by telescopes. When I learned multiple methods depending on the mass and distance of the exoplanet have to be used to prove its existence. From this knowledge I gained in the class I had a new appreciation for astronomy that I did not have before taking the course.

uranus and neptune

After taking this course I want to learn more about the jovian planets. I found them interesting because of their sheer size as well as their diverse and numerous moons. This course has helped see the solar system from a astronomer standpoint which I hope I can use to learn more about jovian planets.

This course has not really changed my opinion on what an astronomer looks like. I just feel it has not changed because I am aware of the diversity of astronomers and ones coming from underrepresented groups.

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The Fermi Paradox

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Elias Ibrahim

outer space

The physicist Enrico Fermi once asked the question “Where is everyone?” on the topic of extra terrestial life.

The Fermi Paradox comes from the idea that if the universe is so old and vast why haven’t we found clear evidence of life elsewhere in the universe. When this thought is taken further it can be used to support the idea that we might be alone.

One possibility for the Fermi Paradox is that the evolution of highly developed civilizations is rare. Perhaps the conditions have to be just right for life to evolve, and just right for a highly developed civilization, and only a small number of planets meet those conditions. Another theory might be certain civilizations will advance to a certain point and self destruct.


The Fermi Paradox has no simple answer. It shows how little we know about our universe


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Astronomy Reflection

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Picture Source

What have you learned from this course that surprised you the most?
Why did it surprise you?

The part of this course that surprised me the most was everything relating to spectroscopy. I was very intrigued that astronomers could figure out all of this information about a planet just from what is emitted (or NOT emitted). I also found the fact that Earth did not originally have any water very interesting and this makes me wonder about the origins of life even more.


Go back and think about the solar system-related topics you wanted to
learn about most at the beginning of the course. Do you have any new
insights based on the material learned in this class that you didn’t
before?

Yes, I am now much more interested in the formation of the solar system as well as the possibilities of aliens within the universe. I really began wondering about how time is tied in with space in general and now I’m starting to think that since we all came from the Big Bang and all of matter exploded out at once plus the laws of our universe remained the same that means that everything is predetermined in some sort of way. The formation of the solar system occurred because of a sequence of events that may have been able to be predicted from the moment time started to exist.

What is one thing that you appreciate about astronomy that you did not
before taking this class?

I appreciate the history of astronomy more now than at the beginning of class. I didn’t know about the progression of technology and all of the different people that went into creating the science that we use. I also appreciate the timeless aspect; Astronomy has always been a part of human culture and human philosophy.


What is one astronomical topic you want to learn about more after
taking this class?

One topic that I would like to learn more about was stargazing and also just learning about how the sun is viewed at different latitudes across Earth throughout the seasons. I was fascinated by how completely different hemispheres just have skies full of completely different stars.


Has this class changed your opinion on what astronomer looks like and
does? If so, how has it changed? If not, why did it not change?

This class has definitely opened my eyes to what astronomy really covers in terms of material. It seems to be a bit of everything; humanities, physics, biology, philosophy, and a little bit of engineering/mechanics. I now realize it’s more than just looking out with a telescope.

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Final Post

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Michael
Parker Solar Probe in a clean room

I think the most surprising thing this course has taught me is just how different the different planets in our solar system are. Prior to this, I would have guessed that the planets and objects in our solar system are pretty similar in both current characteristics and formation. But I was surprised to find out that there are both large differences (example, jovian versus terrestrial planets) and small (differences in orbital dynamics). 

At the start of the class something I definitely wanted to learn more about was potential life in our solar system and the universe. This certainly occurred, and I learned a lot about the worlds in our solar system that could support life or could have in the past (for example, Europa or Mars). We also talked about life in the universe and how probable it might be.

Prior to taking this class I definitely thought astronomy was important but I didn’t realize how important astronomical study can be to our life on Earth. Many of the topics in our class have direct connections to other fields of science, such as understanding the Earth’s geology or how life develops. I think there has been some criticism in the media of how expensive certain astronomical experiments are but they really are important and have broad implications.

After taking this class I definitely want to learn more about the instrumentation that is used. Most of the work I have done in college and what I hope to do in the future involves instrumentation, and I have learned that astronomical instruments are really fascinating. Spacecraft are probably some of the most advanced scientific instruments humankind has created, and learning about JWST for example was fascinating.

I think this class has changed the way I think about what astronomers do. Even though I am finishing up a degree in physics I have not had much exposure to astronomy despite being in a similar field. I think this class has opened my eyes to the very interesting inquiry processes that astronomers do, having to use interesting instrumentation and problem solving to study these objects that are really far away. To me this is what makes astronomy special.

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