Do you believe in life on other planets? Why or why not?
Do you think that aliens could be discovered in our lifetime?
Transcript
An exoplanet is a planet outside of our solar system. Most exoplanets orbit different stars in the galaxy. However, astronomers have observed some planets that are independent of any star system. The first two exoplanets were discovered in 1992. Since then, scientists have been searching for exoplanets that are similar to Earth. This might lead to the discovery of alien life. However, Earth-like planets are difficult to find, because the resources necessary for life only exist under very specific conditions. Our planet happens to be in the solar system’s habitable zone, where the temperature allows water to exist in liquid form. There are over 1,700 known exoplanets, and only 16 of them are potentially habitable.
All stars die , but different stars can die in very different ways. Our Sun is a medium-sized star. That means that when the Sun dies, it will simply turn into something called a white dwarf. White dwarves are small, dense celestial objects that contain the matter left over from stars. However, some stars are much more massive than our Sun, and their deaths are much more . When a massive star gets older, it starts to cool down. This is because the star is using up the last of its . Once the star has no fuel left, it will implode. This implosion is called a supernova. The event is so bright that if a star in our galaxy caused a supernova, we could possibly see it from Earth. The force of a supernova causes the star’s mass to be compressed into a very small space with an incredibly strong gravitational pull. This is called a black hole, and it is so that nothing can escape from it.
Comprehension questions
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Discussion/essay questions
Scientists believe that over 1,000 years ago, ancient civilizations witnessed a bright supernova. Now, scientists are observing a dying star called Betelgeuse, which may go supernova soon. Do you think it’s possible that we could see a supernova in our lifetime?
Transcript
All stars die eventually, but different stars can die in very different ways. Our Sun is a medium-sized star. That means that when the Sun dies, it will simply turn into something called a white dwarf. White dwarves are small, dense celestial objects that contain the matter left over from dead stars. However, some stars are much more massive than our Sun, and their deaths are much more violent. When a massive star gets older, it starts to cool down. This is because the star is using up the last of its fuel. Once the star has no fuel left, it will implode. This implosion is called a supernova. The event is so bright that if a star in our galaxy caused a supernova, we could possibly see it from Earth. The force of a supernova causes the star’s mass to be compressed into a very small space with an incredibly strong gravitational pull. This is called a black hole, and it is so powerful that nothing can escape from it.
