Looking for Life in the Looking for Life in the Solar System Solar System and Beyondand Beyond

Project Ozma

The Water Hole

A “window” where H and OH wavelengths pass through. Double meaning: A meeting place and a “hole” for H + OH (=H2O).

Big Ear

The Wow! Signal

Arecibo Radio Telescope

Message from Arecibo

Message from

Arecibo decoded

Pioneers 10 and 11 were launched in 1972-73. They are pointed towards the stars Aldebaran and Gliese 445. They will reach them in 2 and 4 million years.

Voyagers 1 and 2 were launched in 1973. They are pointed towards the stars AC+79 3888 and Ross 248. They will reach them in 38 and 40 thousand years.

Pioneer and Voyager

The Pioneer Plaque

The Voyager Record

New Solar Systems

1162 new solar systems (1853 total planets) have been discovered.

Most of these have 1-3 Jupiter-sized planets

Planets are detected by studying star wobbles or eclipses.

Star GQ Lupi (A)and its planet (B)

“B” is 22 times the mass of Jupiter!

The youngest forming planet ever found is around a 2-milion-year-old star about 450 light years from Earth. The planet itself is estimated to be about 50,000 to 100,000 years old.

LkCa 15b is 'building itself' out of dust and gas.It sits in a cleared zone between the star and the dust disc. It was discovered using a combination of optical and infrared imaging using the Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea, HI.

This exoplanet is only 25 LY away. It was discovered using the Hubble Space telescope.

Picture of the First Exoplanet: 2M1207b

230 LY away from Earth

5X the mass of Jupiter

3X the diameter of Jupiter

Mars

Mars may have hosted microbial life sometime in its early history. The most likely environment for this life was underground.

Life on Mars? Life on Mars? The Meteorite DebateThe Meteorite Debate

Europa – Water world?

Europa Geysers

Water vapor plumes up to 224 miles high were imaged near Europa’s south pole. They were detected in UV light by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Searching for alien life in Europa’s oceans

Titan

Titan has a thick atmosphere made of 95% nitrogen and 5% methane, with traces of hydrocarbons and hydrogen cyanide

Surface Temperature = -288°F

Titan has a larger diameter than Mercury or Pluto.

Titan: lakes, life?

Saturn’s moon Enceladus

Liquid saltwater has been imaged squirting out of cracks in the ice crust of Enceladus by the Cassini orbiter.

Water on the dwarf planet Ceres

• Liquid nitrogen Liquid nitrogen volcanoesvolcanoes

• Cantaloupe terrainCantaloupe terrain

• Underground oceans?Underground oceans?

Triton