SuperEarths and searching life beyond Solar System

Super-Earths are extrasolar planets larger than Earth, but smaller than Neptune. They usually move very close to their home star. Their orbit resembles that of Mercury or may be smaller Some of them move much further, in particular inside the habitable zone, i.e. in a place where water, if it occurs on its surface, may be in a liquid state. Given the fact that they are probably planets made up of components similar to Earth, they can be a potential place for life.

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize students with the methods of discovering extrasolar planets, to indicate those exoplanets (in particular Super-Earths) where favorable conditions for the existence of life may occur.

Materials:

Super-Earths and searching life beyond Solar System_lesson outline

Worksheet - SuperEarths and searching life beyond Solar System

Ecospheres

Super-Earths_presentation

Movies:

gravitational_microlensing

astrometry

direct_imaging

radial_velocity

transit_method_single_planet