• Exoplanet Lab!

    NOVA’s Galactic Resettlement team has received distress calls from aliens who desperately need new homes. To help, you’ll have to master the same techniques scientists use to find and characterize exoplanets – worlds orbiting faraway stars.
    aliens_plantae
    There are four steps a NOVAnaut must complete to help their alien friends.

    • Step 1: After learning about the different methods used to find exoplanets, players use the transit method to identify stars that seem to have planets orbiting them. This method allows them to calculate each planet’s volume based on how much of the star’s light it blocks from reaching our telescopes when crossing in front. 

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    Transit Method

    • STEP 2: Next, players use the radial velocity method to measure how much the planets are tugging gravitationally on their stars, causing them to wobble. This gives an estimation of their mass, which, combined with the volume derived from the transit method, allows the player to calculate each planet’s density. 

    radial_method

    • STEP 3: The third step is to identify the atmospheric composition of each planet they’ve discovered by analyzing the unique absorption spectrum of the star’s light after passing through it. Knowing what molecules are present can tell us how many heat-absorbing greenhouse gases are present – another clue to the planet’s temperature – and whether any biosignature gases might indicate whether life is already there.

    atmospheric_composition

    • STEP 4: The final step is to put all this information together by placing habitability tags, or Habi-tags, on each planet that summarizes its likely conditions. Now they’re ready to decide where to send their alien, who will report back on how they fare once they arrive at their new home.

    habitags1habitags2

    Once you’ve sent the Plantae on their way, players are ready to apply the same tools and techniques to relocate other alien friends, ones with needs very different from the Plantae.

    Mission 2: the clients are Daysiders and Nightsiders, aliens who share a tidally-locked planet – a world where one side always faces its star, while the other always faces away, towards darkness.

    Mission 3: Earth’s cats seek another Earth-like planet they can dominate without annoying humans and dogs.

    Mission 4: featuring the Cala Mari, squid-like creatures looking for a water world,  

    Mission 5: the Flatuencie, whose manta ray-like bodies are adapted to flying through the atmospheres of gaseous “Hot Jupiters,” 

    Mission 6: sloth-like Li Chen who need a planet with very little oxygen in its atmosphere.