Habitable Zone - Activity Page Six

Name_________________________

STUDENT INSTRUCTION AND ANSWER SHEET

Activity 6: Recently Discovered Planets

In this activity we will investigate real data corresponding to new planets that have been discovered outside our Solar System. Refer to the data found (half way down the page) in the table #1 titled "Confirmed Planets" at: http://www.obspm.fr/encycl/catalog.html .

The (primary) star is classified by its spectral type. The planet mass is provided in multiples of the mass of Jupiter which is 317 times more massive than Earth. The distance from the star to the planet is shown in AU.

For example the table shows that the star named HD 16141 is a G-type star. The orbiting planet has a mass of 0.215 times the mass of Jupiter or about 68.2 times the mass of Earth. We also find that the planet is located 0.35 AU from the star.

A. Examine the first 6 planets in the table. In the space below, state whether or not the companion planet can support Earth-like life. To assist you in making this determination use the Planet Classification Flowchart. For planets that fail the test, state the major factors that keep them from being candidates for Earth-like life.

Star	Spectral Class	Distance (AU)	Mass	Support Earth-like life?
HD83443	K-0	0.038	111 M_E
HD83443	K-0	0.174	51 M_E
HD16141	G-5	0.35	68 M_E
HD10814	F-8	0.98	108 M_E
Epsilon	K-2	3.3	273 M_E
Gliese	M-4	0.13	41 M_E
Tau Boo	F-6	0.0462	1227 M_E
HD16069	G-3	1.3	634 M_E

B. Could any of the planets you have listed have an orbiting Earth-like moon that could support life? List any possible candidates and explain your reasoning for each.