The University 's Lick Observatory, Planet Hunter Team

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

- 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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

In lab six our topic was a continued learning about the Herstsprung-Russell diagram. We will discuss the properties needed to plot an open cluster of stars called the Pleiades cluster. Using the HR diagram we identified the temperature, age and characteristics of these main sequence stars. We applied all of this data and plotted it on our own diagram. From there we answered questions about different results that were found.

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.

Neptune has always been my favorite planet because of its blue color and the fact that it’s named after the god of the sea in Roman mythology. In class, the notes gave an overview of Neptune in section 12.4 “The Jovian Planets“ and I became curious about what things scientists have discovered about Neptune and its moon, Triton. Science has evolved through the years and I wanted to learn about the discoveries that new technologies have brought to life.

“Do you want to go the the planetarium with us this weekend?” my mom texted me in the middle of the week, “Sure,” was my reply but I was still unsure. I’ve lived in Anamosa my whole life and have only visited a handful of larger cities like Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Omaha, Des Moines, Minneapolis, St. Paul...okay so maybe a little more than a handful, but that doesn’t matter. What I was worried about was the amount of people.

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