Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Textbook Question
Chapter 30, Problem 14E
Would a human have been possible during the first generation of stars that formed right after the Big Bang? Why or why not?
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Another explanation for the Universe is the Steady State Hypothesis. The Steady State Hypothesis says that the Universe has always existed and is infinite in extent. Which of the following supports the Big Bang Theory and which supports the Steady State Model.
(Select B-Big Bang Theory, S-Steady State Model, If the first is B and the rest S, enter BSSSSS).
A) An observation that some globular clusters show M-type stars that have evolved off the main sequence.
B) The measurement of redshifts that show galaxies appear to be moving away from each other and the Universe is expanding.
C) A measurement that shows the density of the Universe is close to the critical density.
D) The measurement of the microwave background radiation.
E) Observing that galaxies at very large distances look identical to those in the nearby universe.
Suppose that stars were born at random times over the last 10e10 years. The rate ofstar formation is simply the number of stars divided by 10e10 years. The fraction ofstars with detected extrasolar planets is at least 9 %. The rate of star formation can bemultiplied by this fraction to find the rate planet formation. How often (in years) doesa planetary system form in our galaxy? Assume the Milky Way contains 7 × 10e11 stars.
I've done this problem 3 different times from scratch and looked at similar problems here. Each time my answer is 1.587 (1.59 rounded to 2 significant figures), but when I submit, it says the answer is wrong. What do you think?
In a globular cluster, astronomers (someday) discover a star with the same mass as our Sun, but consisting entirely of hydrogen and helium. Is this star a good place to point our SETI antennas and search for radio signals from an advanced civilization?
Group of answer choices
No, because such a star (and any planets around it) would not have the heavier elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) that we believe are necessary to start life as we know it.
Yes, because globular clusters are among the closest star clusters to us, so that they would be easy to search for radio signals.
Yes, because we have already found radio signals from another civilization living near a star in a globular cluster.
No, because such a star would most likely not have a stable (main-sequence) stage that is long enough for a technological civilization to develop.
Yes, because such a star is probably old and a technological civilization will have had a long time to evolve and develop there.
Chapter 30 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 30 - What is the Copernican principle? Make a list of...Ch. 30 - Where in the solar system (and beyond) have...Ch. 30 - Give a short history of the atoms that are now in...Ch. 30 - What is a biomarker? Give some possible examples...Ch. 30 - Why are Mars and Europa the top targets for the...Ch. 30 - Why is traveling between the stars (by creatures...Ch. 30 - What are the advantages to using radio waves for...Ch. 30 - What is the “cosmic haystack problem”? List as...Ch. 30 - What is a habitable zone?Ch. 30 - Why is the simultaneous detection of methane and...
Ch. 30 - What are two characteristic properties of life...Ch. 30 - What are the three requirements that scientists...Ch. 30 - Can you name five environmental conditions that,...Ch. 30 - Would a human have been possible during the first...Ch. 30 - If we do find life on Mars, what might be some...Ch. 30 - What kind of evidence do you think would convince...Ch. 30 - What are some reasons that more advanced...Ch. 30 - What are some answers to the Fermi paradox? Can...Ch. 30 - Why is there so little evidence of Earth’s...Ch. 30 - Why was the development of photosynthesis a major...Ch. 30 - Does all life on Earth require sunshine?Ch. 30 - Why is life unlikely to be found on the surface of...Ch. 30 - In this chapter, we identify these characteristic...Ch. 30 - Given that no sunlight can penetrate Europa’s ice...Ch. 30 - Why is Saturn’s moon Enceladus such an exciting...Ch. 30 - In addition to an atmosphere dominated by...Ch. 30 - How can a planet’s atmosphere affect the width of...Ch. 30 - Why are we limited to finding life on planets...Ch. 30 - Suppose astronomers discover a radio message from...Ch. 30 - The light a planet receives from the Sun (per...Ch. 30 - Think of our Milky Way Galaxy as a flat disk of...
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- Suppose no stars more massive than about 2 MSunhad ever formed. Would life as we know it have been able to develop? Why or why not?arrow_forwardWhat is the evidence that star formation began when the universe was only a few hundred million years old?arrow_forwardWhat are some answers to the Fermi paradox? Can you think of some that are not discussed in this chapter?arrow_forward
- Most of the stars we can see with the unaided eye in our night sky are hundreds or even thousands of lightyears away from Earth. (The very closest ones are only a few dozen lightyears away, but most are much further.) The vast majority of stars in our galaxy are many tens of thousands of lightyears away. IF intelligent life existed on planets orbiting some of these stars – and that’s a huge IF! – comment on the likelihood and practicality of (a) visiting, (b) communicating with, or (c) verifying the existence of those life forms. Describe how you might go about approaching EACH of these three tasks, or if you think they are even possible. (One or two sentences for each part would be appropriate.)arrow_forwardExplain pre main sequence evolution, early post main sequence evolution and advanced evolutionary stages.arrow_forwardI don’t understand how that it was estimated as length of a mouse is 4 to 15 cm in length. Is that a guess and the answer just varies?also where did 10^-1 come fromarrow_forward
- Suppose that stars were born at random times over the last 1010 years. The rate of star formation is simply the number of stars divided by 1010 years. The fraction of stars with detected extrasolar planets is at least 11 %. The rate of star formation can be multiplied by this fraction to find the rate planet formation. How often (in years) does a planetary system form in our galaxy? Assume the Milky Way contains 3 × 1011 stars.arrow_forwardConsider three periods in the history of the Universe: one million years after the Big Bang (age = 1 million years), about five billion years ago (age = 9 billion years), and today. What is the ranking in the expansion rate of the Universe in these three period, from fastest to slowest expansion: O 1 million years, today, 9 billion years. today, 1 million years, 9 billion years. today, 9 billion years, 1 million years. O 1 million years, 9 billion years, today.arrow_forwardWhat happened before the Big Bang?arrow_forward
- The Sun is moving at 220 ??/? around the Galactic Center at a more-or-less constant distance of 8.5 ???. To appreciate how remarkable this is, consider the following questions: a) How massive would the Sun have to be for the Earth to have an orbital velocity of 220 km/s at 1 AU? b) How fast would the Earth move if it was in orbit around the Sun at a distance of 8.5 kpc? Of course, you may ignore the effects of all other stars in this calculation.arrow_forwardWhat evidence can you give that we live in a galaxy?arrow_forwardThe evidence is overwhelming that the Grand Canyon was dug over a span of millions of years by the erosive power of the Colorado River and that river's tributary streams. Does this evidence support a catastrophic theory or an evolutionary theory?arrow_forward
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