The Search for Alien Life

What are exoplanets??

• Planets that orbit stars outside our solar system

• Planets that are made entirely of gas

• Planets that only have one moon

• Planets that are closer to the Sun than Earth

Which of these is a method scientists use to find exoplanets??

• Using the Hubble Space Telescope to take pictures

• Looking at the brightness of stars for changes

• Exploring other planets in our solar system

• 
  Sending astronauts to exoplanets

What is the name of the zone around a star where conditions might be right for life??

• Habitable Zone

• Dark Zone

• Frozen Zone

• Lunar Zone

What do scientists listen for using radio telescopes when searching for alien life??

• Music from space

• Signals that might come from intelligent beings

• Sounds of stars exploding

• Weather patterns on exoplanets

Critical Thinking Question:

Why do scientists believe that finding water on an exoplanet is an important step in finding alien life??

Critical Thinking Question:

If a planet is in the habitable zone, does it guarantee that life exists there? Why or why not??

Open-ended Question:

What do you think it would be like to live on an exoplanet??

Open-ended Question:

Why is it important for scientists to keep searching for life beyond Earth??