Grade 10

Astronomy Wonder Project

katiat2016

Are there any intelligent life forms living beyond our solar system?

It would make the most sense to search other planets on different solar systems for humans like ourselves, but we don’t know that more humans will be out there. Yes there is a possibility for humans to be living on a different planet but there is an even greater chance that other living forms like extra terrestrials or a different new living form we dont even know exists yet.

There are certain components that are necessary for any living organism whether it’s humans or extra terrestrials or anything to be able to survive on a planet these components include;

  • The planet must be in a solar system that revolves around a single sun that can serve as a long lives stable source of energy
  • It must be a terrestrial planet which means it must be non-gaseous (a solid surface)
  • Water
  • The planet must be the right distance away from the sun in order for liquid to be able to stay at the surface of the planet – if the sun it’s too close, the water boil and burn off and if it’s too far away from the sun the water will be permanently frozen
  • Atmosphere to be able to keep the water in a liquid state
  • The solar system must be placed at the right place in the galaxy where it doesn’t have extreme radiation and is able to absorb heavy elements after neighboring stars die
  • A large enough moon to stabilize the tilt of the planet’s rotation
  • An oxygen-rich atmosphere
  • Energy from the sun
  • Nutrients
  • Gravity to hold it together

 

How can view whats on these planets?

There are many possible ways to figure out if there is living forms beyond our solar system but we need more advanced technology. For example we could create telescopes that can see further and more clear than the ones we have now, as well as creating rockets that can fly for much longer than the current ones. another way would be to calculate different factors of the environment of that planet to figure out if it is even possible for a living organism to live on that certain planet.

My Theory 

Solar systems revolve around a star which is then the sun of that solar system. When a scientist finds a large enough star they will find planets around it which are part of that solar system. By calculating the distance of that planet from the sun they can determine the temperature on the surface of that planet. If the planet is too close to the sun it will be too hot for anything to live on that planet and there will be no water therefor nothing can survive without water.

If the planet has a temperature that is extremely cold then if there was a possibility of water being on that planet the water would be frozen. Again meaning that there is no chance of any living form being able to survive on that planet.

The image below shows how in every solar system there are going to be certain areas that could possibly be habitable zones and if the planet is not in that zone we don’t need to worry about investigating it to see of there are any living forms.

Related image

According to Nasa the following planets are possible habitable planets (not part of out solar system);

  • Gliese 667C c
  • Kepler-62 e
  • Tau Ceti e*
  • Gliese 581 g*
  • Gliese 667C f
  • HD 40307 g
  • Gliese 163 c
  • Kepler-61 b
  • Kepler-22 b
  • Kepler-62 f
  • Gliese 667C e
  • Gliese 581 d

See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Further Questions

Will we ever be able to create a rocket that will be able to store enough fuel to fly to another solar system?

If we would be able to live on another planet would it be easier to discover and explore other planets and the universe in general?

Videos: 

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/astrobiology/conditions/

 

Bibliography

“Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond Our Solar System: Life Signs.” NASA, NASA, 24 Jan. 2017, exoplanets.nasa.gov/the-search-for-life/life-signs/.

“Astronomy Picture Of The Day .” NASA, NASA, 3 Mar. 2014, apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140303.html.

Westman, Robert S. “Johannes Kepler.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 May 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Johannes-Kepler.

Desmos Portrait 2018

katiat2016

While completing this project I encountered many difficulties from finding the correct equation to making the shape or line I wanted, and being able to line it all up perfectly so that the face was equal. The most difficult part for me was being able to find a equation that would make hair strand that would shape my Desmos portraits face. My strategies was a lot of trial and error i tried to test out multiple different equations and once I got the desired shape I played around with the numbers to shorten or change the length of the line or shape to suit the rest of the face.I got Jane to help me at the beginning because I couldn’t figure out how to make the eyes but after she helped me I was confident in doing the rest of the project on my own. This assignment helped me understand how domain and range worked and what each equations shape should look like.

 

RAC Post

katiat2016

For this assignment we were told to do at least one random act of kindness/caring and then see how it affected others. i chose to unload the dishwasher a couple times this week and this helped my parents by saving them time because they didn’t have to unload it themselves.

What did you notice about the person that benefited from the random act of caring (RAC)?

Both my parents were surprised and shocked because i usually don’t have much time help do the dishes or unload the dishwasher. They were also thankful that they didn’t have to spend their time unloading and reloading the dishwasher and they could go do something else instead.

What did you notice about yourself? 

I noticed that i felt pretty good after finishing the dishwasher for the second time because i know that it helped out my parents and took about 10 minutes of work off their hands each time and it wasn’t very hard and didn’t take long to do.

How did preforming a RAC contribute to your personal awareness and responsibility?

i think this RAC contributed to my personal awareness because now i know that even doing something as small as emptying and reloading the dishwasher a couple times a week without being asked really helps my parents and the appreciate it a lot.

Did you enjoy this RAC? Would you do it again? Would you change it, if so, how?

I didn’t enjoy having to empty the dishwasher but seeing how it benefited others and how they were thankful that i did it was enjoyable to see and yes i would do this RAC again because now i know how such a small thing that only takes 10 minutes of my day can really help someone else.

How did it contribute to your leadership skills?

i think this contributed to my leadership skills by making me go out of my way to help someone else even if i didn’t enjoy doing the task i was doing i still know that it helped them.

DNA Model

katiat2016

For this activity we made a DNA model using marshmallows, toothpicks and liquorish,  each marshmallow represented one of the 4 bases. Adenine(a) was represented by the pink marshmallows, thymine (t) was yellow, guanine(g)was orange, and cytosine(c) was yellow. The order and the way these bases are put together is what makes one persons DNA different from others. These 4 bases have pairs that they must always be partnered with, adenine goes with thymine and guanine goes with cytosine. DNA is shaped like a double-helix, and is in all cells except for red blood cells and is passed down through generations from parents to their children.

My DNA Model: