What is this? PH1600: Introductory Astronomy Lecture 24: Life: Are We Alone?

PH1600: Introductory Astronomy Lecture 24: Life: Are We Alone? Next Lecture: UFOs and Pseudoscience School: Michigan Technological University Professor: Robert Nemiroff Online Course WebCT pages: This class can be taken online ONLY, class attendance is not required!

You are responsible for… Lecture material Listed wikipedia entries But not higher math APODs posted during the semester APOD review every week during lecture Completing the Quizzes Homework quizzes HW 12 due later today (Mon) by 5 pm Final Exam released Wed at 4 pm, due next Wed at 5 pm.

4 Wikipedia entries: Drake equation SETI Fermi paradox Extrasolar planet 4

The Drake Equation: N = R* x f p x n e x f l x f i x f c x L N is the number of civilizations in our Galaxies that are contactable R* is the rate of star formation f p is the fraction of stars that have planets n e is the number of habitable planets per above star f l is the fraction of above planets that develop life f i is the fraction of above life planets that develop intelligent life f c is the fraction of intelligent life planets that are contactable L is the expected lifespan of such a intelligent life civilization

The Drake Equation Possible plausible values: R*=10 stars/year; fp=0.5; ne=2 fl=1; fi=0.01; fc=0.01; L=10,000 years Then N~10 Where are they: Fermi Paradox

Life in Our Solar System Mars Ancient or modern Jupiters Moon Europa Underground seas Frozen fish in orbit? Saturns Moon Titan Hydrocarbon seas, rain Saturns Moon Enceladus Underground seas Anywhere else? Cloudtops of Jupiter?

Water Ice in a Martian Crater Credit: G. Neukum (FU Berlin) et al., Mars Express, DLR, ESA; Image created for and Copyright: Nature APOD: 2005 July 20

Unusual Plates on Mars Credit: G. Neukum (FU Berlin) et al., Mars Express, DLR, ESA APOD: 2005 February 28

10 Phoenix and the Snow Queen Credit: Kenneth Kremer, Marco Di Lorenzo, Phoenix Mission, NASA, JPL, UA, Max Planck Inst., Aviation Week and Space Technology APOD: 2008 June 12

11 Radar Indicates Buried Glaciers on Mars Data Reconstruction Credit : NASA/JPL- Caltech/UTA/UA/MSSS/ESA/DLR/JPL Solar System Visualization Project APOD: 2008 November 24

Light Deposits Indicate Water Flowing on Mars Credit: Mars Global Surveyor APOD: 2006 December 12

Pictured: An Ancient Martian? Credit: D. McKay (NASA /JSC), et al., NASA APOD: 1997 August 16

Early Microscopic Life on Mars? Credit: courtesy NASA APOD: 1996 August 7

Tantalizing Titan Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA APOD: 2004 October 28

Methane Rain Possible on Titan Illustration Credit & Copyright: Mark Garlick (Space-art.co.uk) APOD: 2006 August 2

Liquid Lakes on Saturn's Titan Credit: Cassini Radar Mapper, JPL, ESA, NASA APOD: 2007 February 7

Enceladus and the Search for Water Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA APOD: 2006 March 10

19 Cassini Passes Through Ice Plumes of Enceladus Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASACassini Imaging Team APOAPOD: 2008 October 1308 er

Fountains Discovered on Saturn's Enceladus Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA APOD: 2005 December 5

Enceladus Ice Volcanos Illustration Credit & Copyright: Michael Carroll APOD: 2006 June 8

The Very Large Array of Radio Telescopes Credit: Dave Finley, AUI, NRAO, NSF APOD: 2006 May 14

A Big Dish at the VLA Radio Observatory Credit & Copyright: Victor Bobbett APOD: 2006 November 29

Arecibo: The Largest Telescope Credit: NAIC, Cornell U., NSF APOD: 1998 November 29

Radio, The Big Ear, And The Wow! Signal Credit and Copyright: Rick Scott APOD: 1998 September 17

How to Search for Aliens Credit: UC Berkeley SETI Team APOD: 1999 May 17

An Anomalous SETI Signal Credit & Copyright: SETI League 2004 March 7

The Voyagers' Message in a Bottle Credit: Voyager Project, JPL, NASA APOD: 2002 August 31

A Message From Earth Credit: Frank Drake (UCSC) et al., Arecibo Observatory (Cornell, NAIC) 2005 March 13

A Cosmic Call to Nearby Stars Credit & Copyright: Yuvan Dutil & Stephane Dumas 2006 April 2

M13: The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules Credit & Copyright: Eddie Guscott APOD: 2004 May 11

The Lost World of Lake Vida Credit & Copyright: Thomas Nylen et al., NASA, NSF APOD: 2004 April 4

D. rad Bacteria: Candidate Astronauts Credit: Michael Daly (USUHS), DOE APOD: 2006 January 22

Searching for Meteorites in Antarctica Credit & Copyright: Ralph P. Harvey (CWRU), Antarctic Search for Meteorites Program, NASA, NSF APOD: 2002 December 26

A Meteorite From Mars Credit: JSC, NASA APOD: 1996 August 17

55 Cancri: Familiar Planet Discovered Illustration Credit & Copyright: Lynette Cook APOD: 2002 June 14

37 A Dangerous Sunrise on Gliese 876d Illustration Credit & Copyright: Inga Nielsen (Hamburg Obs., Gate to Nowhere) APOD: 2008 May 21

38 HR 8799: Discovery of a Multi-planet Star System Credit: C. Marois et al., NRC Canada APOD: 2008 November 17

Water Claimed in Evaporating Planet HD b Illustration Credit: ESA, A. Vidal-Madjar (IAP, CNRS), NASA APOD: 2007 April 17

Pictured: An Ancient Martian? Credit: D. McKay (NASA /JSC), et al., NASA APOD: 1997 August 16