Life in the Universe (4th Edition)
4th Edition
ISBN: 9780134089089
Author: Jeffrey O. Bennett, Seth Shostak
Publisher: PEARSON
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Textbook Question
Chapter 3, Problem 3RQ
Describe the solar system as it looks on the 1-to-10-billion scale used in the text. How far away are other stars on this same scale? How does this model show the difficulty of detecting planets around other stars? What does it tell us about the challenge of interstellar travel?
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Students have asked these similar questions
Imagine that in the future, scientists plan on colonizing planets that orbit other stars. Based on your knowledge of the life cycle of stars, decide which type of star (High mass or Low mass) the planet should orbit that would allow for human life to safely live on that planet for the longest period of time.
Explain your answer using examples from the life cycle of each star.
Kepler-444 is one of many stars with terrestrial planets that is over 10 billion
a) What do you think the spectral type of Kepler-444 might be?
b) How do stars of this spectral type end their lives?
c) If evolution followed a similar course on a habitable pranet around a star similar to
Kepler-444, it would be 5 billion years more advanced than we are. Let’s try to project
our future and see what happens. In particular, suppose our civilization gets motivated
enough to colonize another planet. Kepler indicates that most stars have potentially
habitable (and colonizable) planets, so roughly how far away is the typical “nearest"
planet?
d) The New Horizons probe on its way to Pluto took 9 years to travel 30 AU. If we could
send colony ships with the same average speed, roughly how long would it take to reach
the typical nearest planet?
уears
old.
Why are we unlikely to find Earth-like planets around halo stars in the Galaxy?
A. Halo stars formed in a different way from disk stars.
B. Planets around stars are known to be extremely rare.
C. Halo stars formed in an environment where there were few heavy elements to create rocky planets.
D. Halo stars do not have enough mass to hold onto planets.
Is the answer C? Since halo stars are formed early when the galaxy consisted of mainly hydrogen and helium, there are no heavier elements available to create Earth-like planets so just halo stars are formed?
Thanks!
Chapter 3 Solutions
Life in the Universe (4th Edition)
Ch. 3 - List three major ideas of astronomy that help...Ch. 3 - Briefly define and describe each of the various...Ch. 3 - Describe the solar system as it looks on the...Ch. 3 - Prob. 4RQCh. 3 - Prob. 5RQCh. 3 - Prob. 6RQCh. 3 - Prob. 7RQCh. 3 - What do we mean when we say that Earth and life...Ch. 3 - Imagine describing the cosmic calendar to a...Ch. 3 - Prob. 10RQ
Ch. 3 - Prob. 11RQCh. 3 - Prob. 12RQCh. 3 - What is the difference between matter in the...Ch. 3 - Define and give examples of kinetic energy,...Ch. 3 - Prob. 15RQCh. 3 - Prob. 16RQCh. 3 - Briefly describe the four major features of our...Ch. 3 - Briefly describe the nebular theory and how it...Ch. 3 - What was the close encounter hypothesis for our...Ch. 3 - How have recent discoveries led scientists to...Ch. 3 - Prob. 21TYUCh. 3 - At a middle school talent show, 14-year-old Sam...Ch. 3 - SETI researchers announced today that if they...Ch. 3 - A noted physicist today announced that he has...Ch. 3 - Prob. 25TYUCh. 3 - Astronomers have discovered a galaxy in the far...Ch. 3 - Inventor John Johnson has patented a device that...Ch. 3 - Prob. 28TYUCh. 3 - Prob. 29TYUCh. 3 - Using new, powerful telescopes, biologists today...Ch. 3 - Prob. 31TYUCh. 3 - Prob. 32TYUCh. 3 - A television advertisement claiming that a product...Ch. 3 - When we say the universe is expanding, we mean...Ch. 3 - Prob. 35TYUCh. 3 - The age of our solar system is about (a) one-third...Ch. 3 - Prob. 37TYUCh. 3 - How many of the planets orbit the Sun in the same...Ch. 3 - Prob. 39TYUCh. 3 - Prob. 40TYUCh. 3 - Explaining the Past. Is it really possible for...Ch. 3 - A Strange Star System. Suppose that we discovered...Ch. 3 - Prob. 44IFCh. 3 - Alien Technology. Some people believe that Earth...Ch. 3 - Atomic Terminology Practice. a. The most common...Ch. 3 - Prob. 49IFCh. 3 - Prob. 50IFCh. 3 - Patterns of Motion. In one or two paragraphs,...Ch. 3 - Two Kinds of Planets. The jovian planets differ...Ch. 3 - Pluto and Eris. How does the nebular theory...Ch. 3 - Rocks from Other Solar Systems. Many leftovers...Ch. 3 - Prob. 55IFCh. 3 - Prob. 56IFCh. 3 - Scale of the Solar System. The real diameters of...Ch. 3 - Prob. 58IFCh. 3 - Prob. 59IFCh. 3 - Prob. 60IFCh. 3 - Prob. 61IFCh. 3 - Prob. 62IFCh. 3 - Prob. 63IFCh. 3 - Prob. 67WPCh. 3 - Tour of the Solar System. Visit one of the many...
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