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Approximately 500 years ago a Polish lawyer, medical doctor, and churchman got a radical idea: that the earth was not fixed solidly in the middle of all space, but was spinning at a thousand miles per hour at its equator and was speeding around the sun at a dizzying rate. Unbelievable, critics said. If that were true, at the equator people would be spun off into space. And it would be much harder to walk west than east.
Proving to be both varied and fascinating, moons are far more common than planets in our Solar System. Our own Moon has had a profound influence on Earth, not only through tidal effects, but even on the behaviour of some marine animals. But how much do we really know about moons?
What was our solar system composed of right after its formation? Using sophisticated computer simulations, researchers from France and Australia have obtained new insights into the chemical composition of the dust grains that formed in the early solar system which went on to form the building blocks of the terrestrial planets.
The Earth we live on was formed from a cloud of dust and ice, heated by a massive ball of compressed hydrogen that was the early Sun. Somewhere along the four billion year journey to where we are today, our planet acquired life, and some of that became us. Our modern brains ask how it all came together and progressed, and what shaped the pathways it followed.
This July, a NASA space probe completed our set of images of the planets, at least as I knew them growing up. New Horizons, a probe that launched back in 2006, arrived at Pluto and its moons, and over a very brief encounter, started to send back thousands of images of this hitherto barely known place.
Today is the annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10, hosted by Cathy Mere from Reflect and Refine, Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning, and Julie Balen of Write at the Edge.… Continue reading →
World Space Week has prompted myself and colleagues at the Open University to discuss the question: ‘Is there life beyond Earth?’
The bottom line is that we are now certain that there are many places in our Solar System and around other stars where simple microbial life could exist, of kinds that we know from various settings, both mundane and exotic, on Earth. What we don’t know is whether any life does exist in any of those places. Until we find another example, life on Earth could be just an extremely rare fluke. It could be the only life in the whole Universe. That would be a very sobering thought.
At the other extreme, it could be that life pops up pretty much everywhere that it can, so there should be microbes everywhere. If that is the case, then surely evolutionary pressures would often lead towards multicellular life and then to intelligent life. But if that is correct – then where is everybody? Why can’t we recognise the signs of great works of astroengineering by more ancient and advanced aliens? Why can’t we pick up their signals?
The chemicals from which life can be made are available all over the place. Comets, for example, contain a wide variety of organic molecules. They aren’t likely places to find life, but collisions of comets onto planets and their moons should certainly have seeded all the habitable places with the materials from which life could start.
So where might we find life in our Solar System? Most people think of Mars, and it is certainly well worth looking there. The trouble is that lumps of rock knocked off Mars by asteroid impacts have been found on Earth. It won’t have been one-way traffic. Asteroid impacts on Earth must have showered some bits of Earth-rock onto Mars. Microbes inside a rock could survive a journey in space, and so if we do find life on Mars it will be important to establish whether or not it is related to Earth-life. Only if we find evidence of an independent genesis of life on another body in our Solar System will we be able to conclude that the probability of life starting, given the right conditions, is high.
A colour image of comet 67/P from Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera. Part of the ‘body’ of the comet is in the foreground. The ‘head’ is in the background, and the landing site where the Philae lander will arrive on 12 November 2014 is out of view on the far side of the ‘head’. (Patrik Tschudin, CC-BY-2.0 via Flickr)
For my money, Mars is not the most likely place to find life anyway. The surface environment is very harsh. The best we might hope for is some slowly-metabolising rock-eating microbes inside the rock. For a more complex ecosystem, we need to look inside oceans. There is almost certainly liquid water below the icy crust of several of the moons of the giant planets – especially Europa (a moon of Jupiter) and Enceladus (a moon of Saturn). These are warm inside because of tidal heating, and the way-sub-zero surface and lack of any atmosphere are irrelevant. Moreover, there is evidence that life on Earth began at ‘hydrothermal vents’ on the ocean floor, where hot, chemically-rich, water seeps or gushes out. Microbes feed on that chemical energy, and more complex organisms graze on the microbes. No sunlight, and no plants are involved. Similar vents seem pretty likely inside these moons – so we have the right chemicals and the right conditions to start life – and to support a complex ecosystem. If there turns out to be no life under Europa’s ice them I think the odds of life being abundant around other stars will lengthen considerably.
We think that Europa’s ice is mostly more than 10 km thick, so establishing whether or not there is life down there wont be easy. Sometimes the surface cracks apart and slush is squeezed out to form ridges, and these may be the best target for a lander, which might find fossils entombed in the slush.
Enceladus is smaller and may not have such a rich ocean, but comes with the big advantage of spraying samples of its ocean into space though cracks near its south pole (similar plumes have been suspected at Europa, but not proven). A properly equipped spaceprobe could fly through Enceladus’s eruption plumes and look for chemical or isotopic traces of life without needing to land.
Written by Jillian, Max, and Sam Schmidt
Illustrated by Robert Pracek
Blue Note Books 2014
978-0-9895563-2-3
Age 4 to 8 32 pages x x “I Love You . . . Infinity brings a precious, yet simple message about expressing love, while journeying through space and experiencing a fun fact about each planet in our solar system with the characters Fisher and Rigley. The book’s vivid and colorful illustrations and lovable characters help your children engage in bringing them along on this lively adventure Fisher and Rigley’s characters are so entertaining and charming, they will pull your children’s attention in like gravity and encourage their imagination to explore an out of this world love. Bring the message of love into your home when you and your children say I Love You . . . Infinity.”
Opening
“Mommy, How much do you love us?” asked Fisher and Rigley.”
The Story
The family of three starts out on the ground asking if mom loves them bigger than their house. Then Rigley, who is a giraffe, wants to know if Mom loves them farther than the moon. The next spread shows Rigley in his space outfit, floating near the sun. Once again, he asks,
“Do you love us BIGGER than the sun?”
Of course, mom does love him bigger than the sun. Then the trio head off to a star; the rocky planets Mercury and Venus; the beautiful Earth; red Mars; Jupiter, the largest planet in the system; Saturn and all its rings; cold Uranus; as far out as Neptune and the once, but no longer planet of Pluto. Mom loves the boys more than all the planets in the solar system, the universe, and finally infinity.
Review
Brothers Fisher and Rigley ask Mom how much she loves them. This sparks a long series of increasing degrees of love. The first thing mom must do is explain the meaning of infinity. Mom says,
“It means forever and always.”
Though not exactly correct, that definition fits the book. Infinity is limitless in time, space, or distance; a number so great you cannot count it. For a four-year-old, “forever and always” may be easier to understand. Do not think your child will learn a “fun fact” about each planet. The “fun facts” include the Sun is big, planet Earth is beautiful, Mercury and Venus are rocky, Mars is red, Uranus is cold, Saturn has rings, Neptune is a long way away, and Pluto is no longer a planet. I expected more, something new, something interesting. If you want interesting facts about the solar system and each planet, go to Kids Astronomy.com. (http://www.kidsastronomy.com/) The writing is good and nearly error-free.
I love the spread, near the end, with the complete solar system laid out including poor abandoned Pluto. The brightly colored illustrations fill up each page, and, because you are in space, expect to see a lot of yellows and blues. The three characters are cute, especially Rigley, who is a giraffe. Somewhere I read that the two brothers were to represent the two brothers who co-authored the book with mom. Now, which one chose to be a giraffe? Whoever you are, your giraffe is cute and one of my favorite animals.
I really like the last spread where mom finally proclaims,
“I love you infinity.”
The light blue page shows each planet, in correct order, and the spaceship carrying the characters moves around those planets in a lopsided figure eight—the symbol for infinity. All of the illustrations are pleasing to the eye. When you purchase I Love You Infinity, be care to get the correct book, there are two other children’s books with the same title.
Kids will enjoy I Love You Infinity, especially if they are into science or the planets. Anyone can make this book work into a fun, giggle-fest, ending in a series of hugs and kisses goodnight. Boys in particular will enjoy this picture book, which I think the authors have planned as a series, though I do not know what is next on their agenda. Though I Love You Infinity is a simple picture book about the complex solar system, it does a good job of orienting kids to our solar system and space, and it gives parents a fun read. The font is rather large, often too large, but if read in a story hour with several kids, the extra large font could be visible to every child. An interesting debut by mom and her two creative sons.
Unfortunately I don’t have a photo from one of my favorite Friday Favorites. Christy Rush-Levine and I met for a walk + dinner on Tuesday. Christy is one of those people who help… Read More →
The search for the elusive Planet X continues. Is an undiscovered planet influencing the motions of Uranus and Neptune? Is this mysterious body Nibiru, a legendary world described by Sumerians over 6,000 years ago? Is this planet approaching the Earth, bringing with it death and destruction? Will Nibiru bring the end of the world that many think is coming in 2012?
John Couch Adams was the first to suggest that the deviations of Uranus and Neptune were caused by another planet. In 1841, Adams began studying these planetary deviations. Later, astronomer Urbain Le Verrier claimed the motion anomalies were caused by two planets. In 1877, David Todd made the first attempt to find Planet X. The United States Naval Observatory proved the orbital disturbances shown by Uranus and Neptune in 1991.
6,000 years ago, the Sumerians made a detailed description of the Solar System which included a planet they called Nibiru. Nibiru means “planet of the crossing”. The Sumerian depiction of this planet matches the specifications of Planet X. Supposedly, this planet has not been seen because it has an elliptical, comet-like orbit. This orbit takes it into deep space, beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Some people believe that Nibiru is Planet X, which is approaching the Earth, perhaps to destroy it. Based on his translation of Sumerian texts, Zecharia Sitchin wrote a book called “The Twelfth Planet”. It tells the story of a race of people called the Anunnaki. The Anunnaki came to Earth from Nibiru thousands of years ago. As Nibiru approaches, researchers say Earth will be struck by massive, catastrophic changes.
There is even a theory that ties together Nibiru and 2012. The Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012, which implies to many people that the world will end on that date. The Nibiru theory holds that Nibiruwill enter the inner solar system and bring disaster upon the Earth on that date. This is also a conspiracy theory because supposedly astronomers are tracking Nibiru, however, the information is being kept from the public. But most scientists say that the world is not about to end. They are surprised at the anger of people who seem to want the world to end.
SUMMARY
Scientists have long searched for the mysterious Planet X, which they say is disrupting the orbital motions of Uranus and Neptune. Many people believe that this planet is Nibiru, which Sumerians supposedly discovered about 6,000 years ago. Some also think that Nibiru could approach the Earth and cause a devastating catastrophe. This might occur on December 21, 2012, when the Mayan calendar runs out.
The search for the elusive Planet X continues. Is an undiscovered planet influencing the motions of Uranus and Neptune? Is this mysterious body Nibiru, a legendary world described by Sumerians over 6,000 years ago? Is this planet approaching the Earth, bringing with it death and destruction? Will Nibiru bring the end of the world that many think is coming in 2012?
John Couch Adams was the first to suggest that the deviations of Uranus and Neptune were caused by another planet. In 1841, Adams began studying these planetary deviations. Later, astronomer Urbain Le Verrier claimed the motion anomalies were caused by two planets. In 1877, David Todd made the first attempt to find Planet X. The United States Naval Observatory proved the orbital disturbances shown by Uranus and Neptune in 1991.
6,000 years ago, the Sumerians made a detailed description of the Solar System which included a planet they called Nibiru. Nibiru means “planet of the crossing”. The Sumerian depiction of this planet matches the specifications of Planet X. Supposedly, this planet has not been seen because it has an elliptical, comet-like orbit. This orbit takes it into deep space, beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Some people believe that Nibiru is Planet X, which is approaching the Earth, perhaps to destroy it. Based on his translation of Sumerian texts, Zecharia Sitchin wrote a book called “The Twelfth Planet”. It tells the story of a race of people called the Anunnaki. The Anunnaki came to Earth from Nibiru thousands of years ago. As Nibiru approaches, researchers say Earth will be struck by massive, catastrophic changes.
There is even a theory that ties together Nibiru and 2012. The Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012, which implies to many people that the world will end on that date. The Nibiru theory holds that Nibiruwill enter the inner solar system and bring disaster upon the Earth on that date. This is also a conspiracy theory because supposedly astronomers are tracking Nibiru, however, the information is being kept from the public. But most scientists say that the world is not about to end. They are surprised at the anger of people who seem to want the world to end.
SUMMARY
Scientists have long searched for the mysterious Planet X, which they say is disrupting the orbital motions of Uranus and Neptune. Many people believe that this planet is Nibiru, which Sumerians supposedly discovered about 6,000 years ago. Some also think that Nibiru could approach the Earth and cause a devastating catastrophe. This might occur on December 21, 2012, when the Mayan calendar runs out.
Commander CARLMAN here, guys. Ever since telling you about that wonderful book, Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein (click here to see the review), I wanted to brush up on my knowledge of the Solar System so that I wouldn't get lost between Mars and Neptune. I've been fascinated with space and the Solar System ever since I was a CARLBOY, so I looked to find some the latest info and, man, did I ever find some good ones!
The first is Stars and Planets by Dr. Mike Goldsmith. It has a lot of good basic information on all all the planets plus fascinating stuff like Space Clouds, the Big Bang and the Big Rip, space pioneers. designs of future space exploration ships, and buildiong space stations. PLUS, every section gives a link to a website realted to that subject!! For instance, the section on Mars takes you to http://www.marsdaily.com/
and pictures of the Red Planet. (be warned--even though this book is pretty new, some sites can change, move, or disappear and some sites will have those annoying pop-up ads and other advertisements) But even with that, you'll find some extremely good sites and good information. This book is great for anyone who's learning about the solar system for the first time or long-term space fans. PLUS, you don't have to sit and read it all the way through--you can pick and choose the sections you want. Commander CARLMAN likes to look through this one while refueling at the Jupiter Station.
Since I mentioned the Red Planet, have you wondered if there were life on Mars? Or ever had been? Then you're in good company. A lot of our best wrtiers have wondered and written terrific books about Mars. H. G. Wells and The War of the Worlds. Ray Bradbury and The Martian Chronicles (one of the ALL-TIME BEST BOOKS EVER). Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Tarzan author, wrote a whole series of books on John Carter and his adventures on Mars. If this idea has ever interested you, then you ought to read Mars and the Search for Life by Elaine Scott. The author gives a lot of interesting background on the discovery and early study of Mars, especially the "canals", and goes on to tell the story of sending space probes to explore, analyze, and photograph the Red Planet. Then she goes on to tell about possible manned trips to mars and how some people are practiciing NOW to go there! Really intersting!! And the chapters on landing probes on Mars had me turning page after page, dying to find out what would happen next! Go get this one, guys!!
The best part of Space Cadet took place when the main characters crash-landed on Venus. A lot of people speculated what might be under that unbroken cloud cover.some said there was an enormous planet-wide ocean, like C. S. Lewis did in Perelandra. Others, like Robert Heinlein, thought there a lot of marshes. The truth comes out in Venus by Ron Miller. Find out what Venus is really like and why space probes get destroyed in 15 minutes whenever they land on the surface! This one kept me turning pages too.
Both the Mars and Venus books have good glossaries (definitions of terms) in the back as well as list of books and websites. This is good because, once you start learning the solar system, you want to find out more and more.
Commander CARLMAN signing out and saying,
"Look To The Stars!"
0 Comments on Three Great Nonfiction Boys for Boys About Planets and Space Exploration as of 1/15/2009 11:34:00 AM
