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Life in the Universe Exercises and Questions

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Submitted By astronomerrrr
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1. Why are scientists interested in the possibility of life beyond Earth?

The discovery of life of any kind beyond Earth would forever change our perspective on how we fit into the universe as a whole, and would teach us much more about life here on Earth.

2. People have long been interested in life beyond Earth. What is different today that makes this possibility seem scientifically reasonable?

Today, technology has flourished and is more advanced than it was in the past. We are able to have telescopic and spacecraft photos of planets and large moons, as well as launching missions to further investigate our curiosity. Because of these advances in technology, we know more about the universe than we previously did.

3. What do we mean by a geocentric universe? In general terms, contrast a geocentric view of the universe with our modern view of the universe.

Thousands of years ago, many people believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe; this was the geocentric view. The geocentric view of the universe contrast our modern view of the universe since it is a Sun-centered view.

4. What are extrasolar planets? In what way does their discovery make it seem more reasonable to imagine finding life elsewhere?

Extrasolar planets are planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. It is now more reasonable to imagine life elsewhere since many or most stars have planets. Therefore, there may possibly be life living on these planets or moons.

5. What do we mean by a habitable world? Does a habitable world necessarily have life?

A habitable world is a world that contains the basic necessities for life. It does not necessarily mean that it has life because the search for habitable worlds is primarily a search for places where microbes of some kind might survive, though we might find larger organisms as well.

6. What do we mean by the

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