Importance of Host Star Data
Importance of Host Star Data
Finding the characteristics of your exoplanet’s host star is critical for your team as a whole. With the host star data you provide your team, your team members will be able to calculate a variety of characteristics about your exoplanet. Most importantly, you will be able to determine your star’s habitable zone, which will help you figure out if 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 observation request to the James Webb Space Telescope.
Complete the following checkpoint based on the video.
Host Star Research Background Checkpoint
You will also be using many different units throughout your calculations. Review the following image for an outline of some 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 host star with a mass of about 432,690 miles. Now try picturing a host star with a radius close to that of our Sun. Which one is easier to imagine?
The temperature of the stars will be measured in Kelvin.
Great work! You’ve completed all the necessary background research about host star data. It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice.