Development of a Habitable Planet

There is a specific zone, or distance from a star, that a planet must be in order to have water in a liquid form. The activity demonstrates how flux density depends on its distance from the source. A photovoltaic cell gets power to drive...

Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations. 

Mars used to have liquid water, can you make it come back? Use the activity and simulation to understand why Mars lost its magnetic field, why atmosphere is important, and what gravity has to do with it. This is the third activity in a...

Gravity is just one consideration when determining human habitability on a new planet. The instructional activity connects four different units and starts with connecting the various systems: planetary systems, human body systems, etc....

Neptune takes 164.8 Earth years to travel around the sun. In the fifth of 22 lessons, young scientists create a travel guide to a planet in our solar system. They provide tips for others on what to bring, what they see, and their...

Students focus on stellar luminosities to estimate size of habitable zones, map out habitable zone around hot light bulbs that serve as models of stars, investigate how size of model "habitable zone" around light bulbs depends on...

Amaze your class with the fact that more than 1,000 confirmed planets exist. The video explains the formation and development of planets, especially the earth. It covers the solar nebula, birth of the sun, and the development of the...

Extraterrestrial life? What makes life possible? What makes a habitable planet? These are the questions explored through this video. Some of the concepts presented include the essentiality of water for life and how its liquid form is not...

Olivier Guyon, professor of optical science and astronomy, explains how scientists are searching for other planets that can support life. Viewers learn the odds of finding a habitable planet, how long it would take, and some techniques...

With so indescribably many stars and planets in existence, certainly we aren't alone in the universe! Or are we? Strangely, we haven't discovered any hints of life beyond Earth. The contradiction, known as the Fermi paradox, is...