Sun, Moon and Stars Data Research Paper

M. Calculated number of visible stars 20

Location of observation (2): Washington Grove, MD Date November 1, 2012 time 10 p.m. Calculated number of visible stars 18

Location of observation (3): Montgomery Village, MD Date November 2, 2012 time 10:12 P.M. Calculated number of visible stars 24

In which of your three locations were you able to see the most stars? Montgomery Village Explain (in some detail) why you were able to see the most stars there

I believe that the amount of light pollution impacted the number of stars that I could see in the sky more than any other factor, although I think that weather conditions could also impact the stars that I could see. There are about 5 very bright stars that I believe would be visible almost anywhere, but some of the stars were more difficult to discern and I had to look carefully to determine if they were stars or other forms of night sky light, like an airplane.

2. Exoplanets, or extrasolar planets, are planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Do a web search on exoplanets. How many of these planets are thought to have been detected? 843 as of November 2, 2012

How were they detected? Most were detected using high-power telescopes and the radial velocity method, which helps differentiate the light from those planets from the light of the suns that they orbit.Do any of these planets orbit stars similar to the sun? Yes.

Are any of these planets similar to Earth in terms of size and mass? Yes, in the Kepler 20 star system

List some of the issues that make human space travel within the solar system difficult. The sheer distance between astronomical bodies makes human space travel within the solar system difficult; the time required to cover the space is so extensive that it is difficult, if not impossible, to equip a vehicle with enough resources to provide for human passengers for the duration of a flight of that length is also a challenge. Furthermore, the human body deteriorates during space travel and a space traveler would lose muscle tone if in space long enough to travel to distant astronomical bodies.

What are the factors that make human interstellar space travel unlikely even for the distant future? The deterioration of the human body and the need to provide adequate resources for the astronauts.

What implications does the difficulty of interstellar space travel have for contact between advanced civilizations in the universe (if these exist)? For the foreseeable future, if we are to have contact with advanced civilizations in the universe, those civilizations will have to be able to travel to us.

References

Cain, F. (2012, March 11). Characteristics of the sun. Retrieved November 5,

2012 from Universe Today.....