Period icon. pink background showing how to measure planet period with the curves.

Importance of Planet Period

Finding the planet period is the first step to finding whether or not your exoplanet could support life. Each piece of data will lead you to the next step. Your findings will allow your team to create a strong and compelling request for observation by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Planet Mass
Planet Radius
Planet Period
Host Star Data
Planet Volume
Star Radius &
Mass
Planet Density
Distance From Star
Planet Composition
In The Habitable Zone?
Could This Planet Support Life?

Background Research

Your job is to determine how long it takes Kepler 452b to orbit its star. Please watch the following video to learn more about planet period. 

Please complete the following checkpoint on planet period based on the video.

Kepler's third law

You will also be using many different units throughout your calculations. Review the following image for an outline of the units you will be using. Using Earth and Solar units help scientists visualize exoplanets and their host stars more easily. Try picturing a planet with a radius of about 4,000 miles. Now try picturing a planet with a radius close to that of Earth. Which one is easier to imagine?

Earth Units
Units based on the characteristics
of our planet Earth
We use Earth units to express
other planets'
- mass
- radius
- period
Astronomers use this symbol to
represent Earth!
Solar Units
Units based on the characteristics
of our star the sun
We use Solar units to express
other stars'
- mass
- radius
Astronomers use this symbol to
represent the sun!

Great work! Background research is an important step in the scientific process to understand all of the concepts you will need moving forward.

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