Astronomy- Please answer # 7 Habitable Worlds Learning Goals In this activity yo

Question

Astronomy- Please answer # 7

Habitable Worlds Learning Goals In this activity you will explore the properties of known extrasolar planets to determine whether they might support life. During this activity you will also: 1. Describe physical and orbital characteristics of a number of extrasolar planets. 2. Quantitatively compare characteristics of extrasolar planets to the planets in the Solar System. 3. Apply the definition of habitable zone to determine habitability of extrasolar planets. H. Summarize what life might be like on either an exoplanet or a moon of an exoplanet. Step 1-Stellar Properties Table 30.1 lists information for just a small sample of the extrasolar planets whose orbits lay all or nearly al in the habitable zone for their respective stars. Information for five Solar System planets is included for comparison. O TABLE 30.1 Comparison of orbital elements and stellar properties for selected extrasolar planets and five planets of the Solar System. PLANET NAME MINIMUM (DESIGNATION) RADIUS SEMIMAJOR PERIOD ECCENTRICITY| STAR ORBITAL MASS OF TEMPERATURE (OFSTAR (K) 0.0002 0.03 0.003 0.09 0.00030.05 0.21 365 0.0167 0.09 0.05 0.4 5778 5778 5778 5778 5778 Earth Mars 1.5 5.2 4,270 9.6 10,759 Saturn HD 10180 g HD 99109 b HD 28185b HD 73534 b HD 183263 b 55 Cac f 0.3 0.8 0067 |- 0.50 _ 1.42 1.11 11.02 3.02 1.49 0.77 0.00 0.09 0.05 0.07 1.06 0.94 0,99 1.17 1.12 0.9 5.8 1.07 3.57 0.173 439 379 1,770 5272 5656 4884 5936 5196 261 Tt ls bypothesized that Jupites s is about as large as a gaseous planet can ger becuase additional mass will tend to squeeze the planet more. Foe the planets in this sample with massesower thn that of Jupites, no radius is kown beause they do not transit thelr sas

Explanation / Answer

7) The temperature of a planet depends upon its distance from the Sun and it increases as a planet moves towards the Sun and vice-versa. The orbital eccentricity of Earth is very small ( 0.0167), wholly circular almost, whereas Mercury has a high eccentricity of 0.21. Greater orbital eccentricity means a larger distance from the Sun abd a greater temperature fluctuation on a planet's surface. Eccentricity also affects a planet's temperature and it's climate change/weather patterns. The seasons on Earth are caused due to the tilt of the planet but if earth happens to have a high eccentricity as that of Mercury, there would be no tilt and hence no seasons will be there. With high eccentricity, the changing distance from the Sun wouldn't produce much notable effects and at perihelion, earth would be very close to the Sun, causing the temperature on the day side of the planet to reach as high as 800? and at aphelion , it would be very far away as temperature would reach around 600?. With very high orbital eccentricity, our planet may no longer be habitable. For example, if the oceans on Earth were alternately freezing and boiling solids, it would have been difficult to imagine life evolve in the way as we know it having evolved.

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