The Study of the Universe

                                                                      Kepler 186f

                                                                          Task: 1

                    Kepler 186f is an exoplanet that orbits around Kepler 186 (red dwarf). Kepler 186f is about 500 light-years from earth. This is the first planet with a similar radius to Earth's found. Kepler 186f is in a habitable zone. This means that it is far away enough from the star that it is orbiting for water to pool on the surface much like earth. While other planets have been found in habitable zones they are all at least 40% larger than earth making it difficult for further research to be done on them. Kepler 186f is almost the same size as earth and though not much is yet known about its surface scientists have speculated that it is most likely rocky. Kepler 186f is in the Kepler 186 system which is in the constellation Cygnus about 500 light-years away from earth. This system also homes four other companion planets that all orbit a star that is half the size and mass of our sun That star is called an "M dwarf" or a red dwarf these types of stars make up about 70% of the stars in the milky way galaxy. Kepler 186f orbits its star once every 130 days and it receives only one-third of the energy that earth gets from the sun from its star. It doesn't get very bright on Kepler 186f at high noon there it is only as bright as it is an hour before sunset on earth. The four other planets are Kepler 186b, 186c, 186d, and 186e. They all orbit Kepler 186 every 4,7,13, and 22 days which means that they would be way too hot for us to live on them.

                    Now as to the question of Kepler186f being able to support life? Well, I don't think that there is quite enough known about it that I think it would be too risky to try it right now. I believe that Kepler 186f would be colder than earth because even though it spins faster Kepler 186f's star is described as quite dim so if that is the case I think that would mean it would be quite cold there. Its star is not only dim but is it also half the size of our sun not just that but Kepler 186f is slightly larger than earth and since it only receives 1/3rd of the energy that we receive from the sun I think that means that it would be pretty cold there. Not much is yet known about Kepler 186f's atmosphere yet but we do know that there is a very high chance of water being on the surface which means that for sure there would be oxygen and hydrogen. How clean the air would be and whether it would be breathable is unknown. When I am answering a question I like to use myself in the circumstance given. For example, would I send myself to Kepler 186f right now? No way, there is way too little known about it yet I think it would be far too risky. Do I think that further research on Kepler 186f is a good idea? Yes, I do the more we know about it the better.

                                                                         Task: 2

                      What does the moon do for us on Earth? The moon does a lot for us. To start it keeps the earth in the correct place. The earth is in an almost perfect place right now with the moon's gravitational pull keeping the earth in the correct position. If the moon wasn't here the earth would tilt dramatically causing either no seasons or giving us dramatic seasons even possible ice ages. Without the moon, the earth would also spin a lot faster making the days much shorter so instead of 24 hour days, they would be closer to 6-12 hour days. There could be more than one thousand days in one year! It makes me dizzy just thinking about it. The moon is also in control of the tides. The moon's gravitational pull causes something called the tidal force. This means that the sides closest and farthest from the moon bulge so if you are in one of the bulges then it would be high tide there. tides also monitor different aspects of oceanic life including the reproductive activities of fish and oceanic plants. Also, floating animals rely on tides to bring them to different places. The tides also stir up nutrients and materials in the ocean which allow ecosystems to thrive. Crabs, mussels, starfish, and snails need tides to live. Without a coastal ecosystem, this could have drastic effects on other land and sea animals and could potentially lead to mass animal extinctions. The moon also helps plants to receive equal amounts of nutrients the more the moonlight increases the more this stimulates leaf growth and after the full moon, the moonlight decreases letting more energy flow to the plant's roots which means that leaf growth slows down. 

                   By keeping the earth spinning at the correct pace it controls our entire lives. The moon is the center of the lunar calendar which helps us track the time and day. Days, months, and years are what keep our lives "normal". If there we 678 days in a year nothing would be the same it would all be complete chaos. The tide is what some people depend on for life. Some fishermen depend on the tide to rise and fall back so they can check traps or collect crustaceans. Without the tide, there would most likely not be a coastal ecosystem for animals or us to depend upon which in the long term means mass extinctions and it would most likely result in the oceans becoming very empty.

                                                                         Task: 3

                    Hydrogen is the main element in a star however Helium is another key component. Hydrogen is the lightest element its atomic weight is 1.008! Hydrogen makes up 90% of all atoms in the universe so naturally, this should be a big factor in a star. Then there is Helium, Helium all though not the main ingredient in a star is still a huge part of one. Helium is the second lightest element its atomic weight is 4.003. 

                    Hydrogen and Helium both make up a star, in short, these two elements when mixed at a very high-temperature create a giant constantly exploding ball of gas more commonly known as a star. The star closest to earth (the sun) is so hot that all of that hydrogen is constantly undergoing a constant nuclear reaction just like a hydrogen bomb. There is s so much "fuel" in a huge star like the sun that even though it is always exploding it won't burn out for at least a couple billion years yet. The reason stars can be seen by humans in the sky is because the sun and other stars while constantly exploding let off energy called electromagnetic radiation which is why we can see them. Fusion is what keeps stars from dying. When two atoms of hydrogen fuse together they form an atom of helium. The "fusing" of these two hydrogen atoms is what causes the ongoing explosions that keep the stars alive and burning. 

                                                                        Task: 4

                As mentioned in previous lessons there are accidents. In January of 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded just after liftoff. It was determined that the cool weather on launch caused a seal to crack and then a fuel leak and explosion followed killing 7 people! A landing accident also occurred in February 2003 when the Columbia space shuttle caught fire upon re-entry into earth's atmosphere 7 people were killed!

                 Radiation is another huge health risk to astronauts because the earth's natural atmosphere protects against harmful radiation (most of which comes from the sun) however when astronauts are out in space there is nothing to protect them against high levels of radiation. 

                Our bodies work differently in a zero-gravity setting. Most of all it affects our muscles, bones, spinal cord, and our blood flow. After longer periods of time, these effects can cause damage to our bodies. Some of these problems are muscle atrophy, and bone density loss. Muscle atrophy is when your muscles forget how to work properly due to long periods of time and not having to work very hard. Just as muscles get bigger/stronger when in use so do bones. The more the bones are carrying the thicker they become. So when your bones don't have to carry much/any weight at all they become very thin and are very susceptible to cracking. With your spine, because there wouldn't be much pressure holding the spongy discs in between vertebrae together in space these discs tend to stretch out making the spine longer which can lead to problems with nerves and the muscles surrounding your spine.  

                   I think to continue studying Kepler 186f they should start to or continue to try and find out more about its atmosphere. With space satellites already in use around our earth, why not place some surrounding Kepler 186f to monitor and observe it. I know that satellites aren't meant to go that far away from earth however new space drone technology is being worked on where the drone is controlled by a "smart glove." A smart glove is a glove that picks up on the tiniest movements in the hand which is then converted into signals for the specially designed space drone. The scientists who created this smart glove say that this same technology could be used for other types of machinery. So I think that this would be a good start to finding out more about Kepler 186f. 

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