Activity

Is anything out there?

In this activity, students consider evidence for life on other planets outside our Solar System. They examine data to decide on the likelihood of life on certain extrasolar planets.

Life on other planets

Will we ever see life on planets outside our Solar System? The late Professor Denis Sullivan (1942-2019), from Victoria University of Wellington, suggests that we may never know for sure.

Rights: © Copyright 2009. University of Waikato. All Rights Reserved.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

  • discuss what ‘life’ is

  • use data to draw conclusions

  • understand how hard it is to know if there is life on other planets

  • communicate ideas to others

  • know some information about planets in our Solar System.

Hunting for planets

Professor Denis Sullivan, from Victoria University of Wellington, explains why we can only detect extrasolar planets indirectly. He outlines the ‘wobble’ method of detecting planets around distant stars.

Rights: © Copyright 2009. University of Waikato. All Rights Reserved.

Download the Word file for:

  • introduction/background notes

  • what you need

  • what to do

  • student handouts.

Related content

Discover how scientists are using electromagnetic spectrum to find planets around other stars.

Find out more about exoplanets using the citizen science projects Planet Hunters and Agent Exoplanet

Intermediate teacher Matt Boucher used the Planet Hunters projest within a year 7/8 unit on light. Read the case study and accompanying unit plan with activities.

In the activity Hunt the planet, students plot graphs of light measurements from stars, searching for dimming that indicates the presence of a planet, and calculate its size.

Published:01 April 2009