Astrobiology Notes
Astrobiology Textbooks Notes
Introductions: Chapter One
Astrobiology= combination of astronomy (study of universe) and and biology (study of life); “literally the study of life in the universe”
What are we searching for? extraterrestrial life, life beyond earth we are looking for any sign of life, be it simple, complex, or intelligent
The basis for life
Life can move so can clouds
Life can grow so can crystals
Life can reproduce and spread so can fire
The scientific search for extraterrestrial life in the universe generally presumes a search for life that is at least somewhat Earth-like and that we could therefore recognize based on what we know from studying life on Earth
Search for life is not a new idea ancient Greeks debated about possibility of life elsewhere
The scientific Context of the search
Astronomy tells us that we live on just a tiny planet orbiting one rather ordinary star in a vast cosmos, and that the same physical laws that operate here also operate throughout the universe together, these ideas suggest that there could be many other worlds with life
Planetary science helps us understand the possibilities for extraterrestrial life
We expect planets to be common around other stars (confirmed by extrasolar planets)
By learning how planets work, we learn the conditions that might make a habitable world, meaning a world that has the basic necessities for life, even if it does not actually have life
Biology helps us understand the possibilities for extraterrestrial life: Modern biologists provide 3 lines of evidence suggesting that life might be elsewhere=
1. The fact that life arose quickly on Earth suggests that it might occur on any world that has the “right” conditions
2. We know from observations of meteorites and interstellar clouds that organic molecules are common throughout the galaxy, suggesting that we’ll find them on many other worlds
3. The fact that life on Earth survives even under some seemingly
Introductions: Chapter One
Astrobiology= combination of astronomy (study of universe) and and biology (study of life); “literally the study of life in the universe”
What are we searching for? extraterrestrial life, life beyond earth we are looking for any sign of life, be it simple, complex, or intelligent
The basis for life
Life can move so can clouds
Life can grow so can crystals
Life can reproduce and spread so can fire
The scientific search for extraterrestrial life in the universe generally presumes a search for life that is at least somewhat Earth-like and that we could therefore recognize based on what we know from studying life on Earth
Search for life is not a new idea ancient Greeks debated about possibility of life elsewhere
The scientific Context of the search
Astronomy tells us that we live on just a tiny planet orbiting one rather ordinary star in a vast cosmos, and that the same physical laws that operate here also operate throughout the universe together, these ideas suggest that there could be many other worlds with life
Planetary science helps us understand the possibilities for extraterrestrial life
We expect planets to be common around other stars (confirmed by extrasolar planets)
By learning how planets work, we learn the conditions that might make a habitable world, meaning a world that has the basic necessities for life, even if it does not actually have life
Biology helps us understand the possibilities for extraterrestrial life: Modern biologists provide 3 lines of evidence suggesting that life might be elsewhere=
1. The fact that life arose quickly on Earth suggests that it might occur on any world that has the “right” conditions
2. We know from observations of meteorites and interstellar clouds that organic molecules are common throughout the galaxy, suggesting that we’ll find them on many other worlds
3. The fact that life on Earth survives even under some seemingly