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Astronomy 3040
Astrobiology
Spring_2016
Day-3
Apollo-1 crew
STS-51-L Crew
Course Announcements
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1st set of Dark Sky observing nights:
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Tues. Feb. 2 & Mon. Feb. 8 – 7:30pm at the observatory.
Tues. Feb. 9 is the weather backup if both are cancelled.
Remember – these are optional.
Why & How Study Astrobiology?
 Folk Lore
 Martian canals
 UFOs
 Astronomy
 Planetary Sciences
 Geology
 Atmospheres & Oceans
 Biology
Mars, the only planet inhabited only by robots
Where do we Look?
 Earth - extremophiles
 In the Solar System
 Planets – sizes, distance from Sun
Mars
 Moons – sizes, water & water ice
 Jupiter – Europa, Ganymede, Callisto
 Saturn – Titan, Enceladus
 Neptune - Triton
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Exoplanets
 2014 confirmed planets (22 Jan. 2016)
 How find them?
 Pulsar Timing
 Radial Velocity
 Astrometry
 Gravitational Lensing
 Photometry (transits)
Where do we Look?
 Beyond the Solar System
 Distances to stars, travel time
 SETI
But First ...
 What is Life?
 If you're going to find it, you have to know
what you're looking for.
 Carbon based? (or Silicon)
 Liquid water?
 Simple or complex
 Communicating?
 Cyborgs?