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OBJECTIVE:   I will work with my team to determine possible impacts of actual Contact on Gig Harbor society, American Society, World populations during today's class

WORD FOR TODAY:

• SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)
• Fermi's Paradox ("Where are the Aliens?")
• Drake Equation
• Kardashev Scale
• Exoplanet
• Atmosphere
• Magnetic Field
• Goldilocks Zone

WORK O' THE DAY: 

Let's take a look at those slides now-- each group will share their slides to the big screen and we'll have a Q & A!

If time permits - SPACE SHIELDS! Why atmosphere and magnetic field matter!

Venus has a PEA-SOUP thick atmosphere that is dozens of miles thick. It is so thick, in fact, that no visible like can make it to the surface of the planet. High energy light (such as UV) can make it through the clouds though. That light heats up the surface of the planet which tries to then "give back" that light to space in infrared light (heat).

Why can't that IR light (heat) get back into space?

What does that mean for prospects for life on Venus?

Does Venus have a magnetic field?

Mars has very thin, wispy atmosphere that is only about 1% as dense as the atmosphere on Earth? We've mentioned previously that liquid water is impossible on the surface of Mars as it turns to gas almost immediately when exposed to the thin atmosphere on Mars.

And yet there is VERY definite evidence of flowing water on Mars in the distant past. We can clearly see channels, rivers and the remains of shallow seas. Where did the water go?

Why?

Earth has a fairly robust magnetic field. We can be thankful that it does, since that <does what, exactly?>

 

 

Earth's magnetic field keeps us safe from lots of different radiation from space. Without it life itself on Earth would be, how shall we say, very problematic?

There is fairly new (the last 15 - 20 years or so) science that suggests that the Earth and a Mars-size planet named Thea collided billions of years ago. Much of the heavy elements (chiefly nickel and iron) migrated to the core of the Earth. Combined with the heat of that collision (which is still present!) resulted in a rapidly spinning, very hot, but very liquid outer core which results in a fairly strong magnetic field (YAY!)

Determine whether your planet has a magnetic field and discuss the density of your planet's atmosphere.

The Earth loses about 100,000,000 tons of its atmosphere to space every year. So why do we still have an atmosphere???

The answer is volcanoes!

Earth's volcanoes put 100,000,000 tons of new gas (chiefly CO₂) into the atmosphere. That atmosphere helps keeps us safe from flying rocks/debris from outer space -- not to mention providing breathable air (once the plants have photosynthesized it!)