Sage-Tips

How do scientists investigate the solar system?

Telescopes on Earth and in orbit around Earth provide scientists with information about our solar system. That information is used to plan where spacecraft fly and where they “point their cameras.” NASA and other agencies send robotic spacecraft to fly by, orbit, or land on other planets and moons.

How do scientists find other solar systems?

By measuring the stars’ light emissions and observing how much light the transiting planets absorb, they will be able to make detailed inferences about planets’ masses, densities, and atmospheric compositions. This includes the potential to observe water and other key molecules known to support life.

How can you detect water on other planets and moons?

A common procedure is to use infrared spectroscopy toidentify substances by the infrared wavelengths they absorb or emit. Thisprocedure is often used to detect water on planetary bodies.

What evidence do scientists use to explain how the solar system formed?

Scientists are using new computer models and evidence from meteorites to show that a low-mass supernova triggered the formation of our solar system.

What do scientists use to examine planets and moons in the solar system?

Use telescopes on the ground or in space to make observations of distant planets, moons, etc.. Carry out experimental work in laboratories or in at different sites on the Earth which replicate different planetary environments.

How were the scientists able to study the moon?

Without a telescope, you can look up and tell that the moon has creators and what appears to be a white surface. Scientists use powerful telescopes to discover a bit more. For instance, NASA’s Lunar Impact Monitoring telescope studies lunar craters that large meteoroids create.

How do scientists detect more distant planets outside of our solar system?

Kepler detected exoplanets using something called the transit method. When a planet passes in front of its star, it’s called a transit. By studying the time between transits, astronomers can also find out how far away the planet is from its star. This tells us something about the planet’s temperature.

How are planets detected?

A few planets are found via direct imaging. Direct imaging is a very difficult and limiting method for discovering exoplanets. Also, scientists must use a special instrument called a coronagraph to block the light from the star, revealing the dimmer light of any planet or planets that may be orbiting it.

How do scientists know if a planet has water in it?

Scientists have detected liquid water using radio signals. The radio detection and ranging (RADAR) instrument of the Cassini probe was used to detect the existence of a layer of liquid water and ammonia beneath the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan that are consistent with calculations of the moon’s density.

How can scientists determine what elements make up stars and other planets?

The most common method astronomers use to determine the composition of stars, planets, and other objects is spectroscopy. Every element — and combination of elements — has a unique fingerprint that astronomers can look for in the spectrum of a given object.

What two scientists helped discover evidence to explain how the planet looks today?

In January 2015, Caltech astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown announced new research that provides evidence of a giant planet tracing an unusual, elongated orbit in the outer solar system. The prediction is based on detailed mathematical modeling and computer simulations, not direct observation.

How did Earth and other planets form?

Formation. When the solar system settled into its current layout about 4.5 billion years ago, Earth formed when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust in to become the third planet from the Sun. Like its fellow terrestrial planets, Earth has a central core, a rocky mantle, and a solid crust.