Recently, a new planet has been found beyond our solar system by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. The most interesting part of this discovery is that it is the smallest planet found outside our solar system and it is the first found to be made of solid materials. Kepler – 10b, as the planet is now titled, has a mass about 5 times larger than Earth’s and a diameter only 1.4 times larger than Earth’s. The partially molten new planet was discovered, also, to be too hot to contain any liquid water and therefore life. Scientists find that this new discovery is a great step forward. Solid rocky planets are ideal to scientists because chemical reactions that form the building blocks of life are believed to happen most readily on solid surfaces.
In March 2009, the Kepler spacecraft was launched. A few months later, the craft recorded a “periodic dip in light from a star called Kepler -10.” This dip suggested to scientists that the star has a planet that whips about Kepler -10 in a 20 hour orbit. Kepler researches studied the dimming closely and after looking through the Keck I Telescope atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea it was noted that some 565 light-years from Earth a planet was tugging slightly on Kepler – 10. In order to examine the new planet, the Kepler team inspected the star at one-minute intervals using the spacecraft. Through an analysis of the strength and frequency of tiny flickers of light from within the star, the team noted the planet’s precise measurements, which revealed that Kepler -10b must be “composed entirely of solid silicate and metal grains.” The estimated temperature of the planet’s surface reached up to 1,500 degrees Celsius. In February, the team also plans on announcing “newly discovered exoplanets”, just like Kepler – 10b
Author Ron Cowen, did a great job explaining this article. It was a very interesting topic, however was confusing as well. I found that during the article I was confused as to which space object the author was describing. I was hard to tell if it was talking about the start or the planet. Also, I believe that the article never mentioned the Kepler Team’s director, which I would have found to be very helpful. Although this was an interesting article, I wish that it was clearer.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/68586/title/New_planet_small_but_tough
Current event –due 1/18/2011
ReplyDeletePaige Gordon
This review was about the discovery of a small, solid/rocky planet outside of our solar system. Sara did a great job at summarizing this article. In her review she explained the new planet very well. I got a great idea of the size in comparison to that of earth’s and also how far away it is. She also discussed and fully explained the star called Kepler. The importance of this star is that researchers discovered a planet that was “some 565 light-years from Earth…tugging slightly on Kepler – 10.”
Although Sara’s review was great there are a few things I would change. She could go into more detail in the explanation about the new planet and even about the star. Her cursory explanation does not help the reader fully understand the significance of this planet in relation to the star: she could further explain how they are related. Also, she should proof read her article.
It fascinated me that rocky planet discoveries are really important to scientists. I did not know that these solid surfaces were subject to chemical reactions that create “the building blocks of life.”
Sara did a good job in explaining the contents of her article. She thoroughly elucidated the significance of the of the discovery of the new planet Kepler-10b saying that it is the first planet discovered outside of our solar system consisting of solid materials. She also did well in distinctly noting the size of the new planet. I could easily get the sense of it in comparison to Earth. I also liked how she included the presence of a star (Kepler-10) to the planet. She linked the significance of the planet to the discovery of a star by observing the “periodic dip in light”.
ReplyDeleteSara could improve her review as well. My first piece of advice would be to edit the review. Aside from that I found her review to be a little unclear. Although she acknowledged that the article itself was confusing she could have clarified the facts to make it easier for the reader to comprehend. Finally, she said that “scientists find that this new discovery is a great step forward”. However, Sara never explained how this discovery will help advance our knowledge. Although it gives us an idea of what else is out in the universe I would have liked to know what this new planet means for the future.
Overall, I found this article interesting because I learned a great deal about our universe. I did not know that solid surfaces are thought to be the home to chemical reactions that create the “building block of life”. I think it is cool when scientists discover new things such as planets because it gives us a sense of what other possible life forms are out there.
Considering that the article was confusing, I think Sara did a good job at simplifying it for the class. She mentioned she had problems distinguishing between the star and the planet in the article, but I had no trouble with it in her summary which means she did her job. She also does a good job at giving us a visual of the planet and how large it is and what it is made out of. I also liked that she included how it was discovered, because too often people talk about discoveries without giving an explanation, or at least not a clear explanation, of how they got to that discovery, but Sara did.
ReplyDeleteAlthough most of the information one would need to understand the article, there are a few places where she could have added information or explained more thoroughly. It would have been nice to know how far away the planet is from Earth. All we know is that it is outside the solar system. It would also be nice to have an explanation of "newly discovered exoplanets." Does that imply that there are other planets outside our solar system that have been discovered recently? How many?
I was intrigued by some of the facts in this article, for example that life develops more readily on tougher surfaces. It makes sense, but I had never though about life in terms of the surface it lives on. Also, its interesting to think about what this could lead to. If there are other tough planets out there, maybe one won't be as hot and will be capable of harboring life, then we'll just have to figure out how to get there!
The summary of Sara’s article was superb; the article itself was somewhat difficult to understand given its length. She extracted the most important elements from the article to create an excellent synopsis. Additionally, she did a nice job describing the planet, especially when she compares it to Earth, making it relatable to her reader. Her description of the planet, as well as the spaceship, gave for a better overall understanding of the article. Finally, her suggestions to what the author of the article did well and could have improved on were very insightful. She gave an accurate account of why she was interested in the article.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few aspects to Sara’s review that could have been improved. For example, it would have been nice for her to include some background information of the planet, like where it is located and if other planets are near by. How did researchers come across this discovery? It also would have been nice for Sara to say what affects this finding may have on the future. Are researchers studying more planets around this particular region?
I really enjoyed the topic of the article; I found it rather intriguing. This detection can lead to a world of new possibilities. One day, we may find another planet that could sustain life!
The first thing that Sara did well in her current event is that she explained the main point of the article she read in the beginning of her review. She stated what the discovery was and why this new planet is so unique. I clearly learned that it is the first planet to be discovered outside of our solar system that is made up of solid materials. The second thing that Sara did well is that she explained exactly how Kepler team inspected and discovered this new planet and found its exact dimensions using flickers of light. The third thing that Sara did well in her analysis of the article she read is that she explained that the article was interesting, but also confusing. I like how she gave her own opinions on the article.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that Sara could improve on is that she could have added an introduction that explained what other planets have been found outside our solar system and compare them to this new planet. If she did this, it would have really added to her review of the article. The second thing she could have done to improve her review is that she could have talked more about the team that made the discovery and their previous accomplishments.
One fact that I found to be very interesting was that this is the first planet to be discovered outside of our solar system that is made up of solid material. I find it weird that it is five times as dense as Earth is, but only 1.4 times as big as Earth.
Firstly the review displayed of this article must be commended. Through the thorough explanation of the significance of this find the greatness of this article was easily conveyed. The vastness of the discovery of the new planet Kepler-10b is an evident fact in itself, considering that it is the first planet discovered outside of our solar system consisting of solid materials. By detailing the new planets size, it sparked even more interest in the planet. It therefore offers an immense comparison between the earth. The addition of adding information on the presence of a star (Kepler-10) to the planet was another beneficial component. Such phrases as observing the periodic dip would not have had the same influence without the linkage provided in pertinence to the star. Naturally there are always a few components that can be improved upon. A great step in coming up with a final copy would be to edit the review and have multiple drafts before completely finishing a review such as this one. Possibly as a result there was some unclarity within the review. Although she acknowledged that the article itself was confusing she could have clarified the facts to facilitate the story to the reader. Lastly she claimed that “scientists find that this new discovery is a great step forward.” However, Sara never fully conveyed how this discovery would or could help advance our knowledge in the scientific world. Although it gives us an idea of what else is out in the universe it may have been beneficial to know what this new planet means for the future. Overall, I found this article interesting because it informed me on a great deal about our universe and the solar system. It is interesting to hear that solid surfaces are thought to be the home to chemical reactions that create the “building blocks of life.” Naturally we can see it as a great step forward when scientists discover new things such as planets because it gives us a sense of what other possible life forms are out there.
ReplyDeleteSara's review of this article was done very well. There were several aspects that were absolutely superb. One was that she explained the characteristics of the planet. She noted that it was made of solid rock, although was too hot to support life. She also compared it to earth in size and mass. Another aspect of the review that was done well was that she explained how the planet was discovered. Sara explained the launch of the Kepler spacecraft as well as the noticing of the planet by the scientists. Finally, Sara's review was very well written. She was able to simplify an article making it understandable for the reader, even though she herself noted it as being confusing.
ReplyDeleteThere were however some parts of the review that could have been improved. One idea that I thought could have been explained more was the discovery's affect on the scientific world today and its significance. One other part that could have been elaborated more was the characteristics and significances of Kepler -10, the planet discovered first.
One fact that I thought was very interesting was that Kepler 10b was in such relation to earth. It is only 1.4 times larger in diameter, even though the more nearby planets such as Jupiter and Uranus are much larger than Earth.
I thought Sara did a great job reviewing the article. She had multiple areas of strength. First, I liked how she summarized the article. Sara took a dense and complicated article and made it easy for anyone to understand. Also, I liked the display of statistics about the planet in her article. I found the information of the density and diameter of the planet to be interesting and insightful. Finally, I loved Sara’s review because it actually explained how the planet was discovered. Far too often, reviews forget to explain the origins of a discovery and only focus on the details and the potential impact of the discovery.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I liked Sara’s review, there were areas for improvement. I felt she could have gone a little more in depth on the team that discovered the planet. Who were the scientists that were in control of the Kepler spacecraft and what else have they done? Another suggestion to Sara would be to give more information on the Kepler spacecraft. What was its purpose and how did it come upon this planet?
I learned a great deal from Sara’s review of the article. I though the most interesting detail was the fact that there are not too many known planets in the solar system that are solid like the earth. I always knew many planets were like the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, but I didn’t know the gassy planets were far more common.