How do you imagine an exoplanet?

Subject :

According to astronomer Giordano Bruno (1584), the stars are distant suns that are accompanied by their own planets, known as exoplanets. He also suggested the potential for these planets to support their own forms of life. Currently, there are over 5,500 exoplanets that orbit stars other than our Sun within our galaxy ? , the Milky Way. Bruno’s cosmology distinguishes between "suns" which produce their own light and heat, and have other bodies moving around them; and "earths" which move around suns and receive light and heat from them. Bruno suggested that some, if not all, of the objects classically known as fixed stars are in fact suns. It is currently understood that exoplanets are celestial bodies similar to gas giants and terrestrial planets ? , varying in size and comparable to those found in our Solar System. This brings forth the question of what defines an exoplanet? What is the appearance of an exoplanet, and how does the star it orbits appear? We should take a moment to consider how our Solar system is structured. With this understanding, we can create a representation of an exoplanet in
orbit around its host star. Subsequently, we will portray the exoplanet at an enlarged scale. What could its surface potentially resemble? Engage your imagination. Let us analyze the features of the exoplanets that have been discovered. Are they alike or distinct? What supplementary features would you integrate into the allure of your exoplanet, taking into account the exoplanets that have been identified?

Level : primary school
Time : approximately 1 hour

Prerequisites :

Objectives :

  • Explore the characteristics of exoplanets, their host stars, and their orbits.
  • Discover the factors that influence the appearance of an exoplanet.
  • Place an exoplanet within an orbit surrounding its host star.

Equipment required :

Activity to be carried out in class in groups (ideally groups of 2 students).

  • 1 pencil or mechanical pencil per student
  • 1 eraser per student
  • 2 sheets of A4 paper per student
  • 1 ruler
  • 1 set of colored pencils

Subject :

Subject
Activity plan

Author : Iharka CSILLIK, Romanian Academy, Astronomical Institute, Observatory of Cluj-Napoca