INTERNET STUDY
                             Planet Discoveries Outside Our Solar System

During these assignments, unless given permission by the teachers to visit other websites, ONLY THE WEBSITES
LISTED
BELOW WILL BE USED!  Failure to follow library rules of correct computer/internet use will result in losing the
privilege of
using the computers.  Turn in your worksheets to the teacher after each day of library work.

We will use the WEB SITE below to begin this assignments:   (Be sure to capitalize the “E” in Extrasolar)
“EXTRASOLAR VISIONS” -  The address is: http://www.jtwinc.com/Extrasolar/mainframes.html

For internet study #8, go to the “Extrasolar Visions” web site, click on “The Planets”  (upper left)  which will
take you to Star Map Menu  “Guide to Extrasolar Planets”, then answer the following questions:
(when you have clicked on a button and have finished and have to go and click on the next button, use the back arrow
button to
return to the previous page.)

1. At the Extrasolar planet Star Map menu, you will see SIX types of heavenly objects which are being studied
by astronomers looking for the existence of planets in places outside of our solar system - Planets around
normal stars which closely resemble our yellow dwarf star “Sol”;  Planets around Pulsars;  newly forming
Planets around protoplanetary disks;   Planets around extragalactic worlds;  and the other two are
Planets around  __________  ____________ and Planets running free (rogue) known as __________
__________   __________   __________ which are also known as MACHOs.

We will take a look at some of the planets (discovered) around normal stars (click on it) and compare them
to our solar system.  You will need to click on the stars listed in the menu to fill out the information below and
then next click on:   a. Stellar data    b. Observed planet data  c. Comparison with our Solar System
to answer the questions about each star and the newly discovered planets orbiting around them.

                                            STAR TYPE &                  DISCOVERED                  PLANET                 PLANET LOCATION
STAR NAME                    DISTANCE (LY)               PLANET(s) MASS         DIAMETER         IF IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

51 Pegasus                          Main Sequence                  0.6 Jupiter                   0.35 to 1.35                 Between the Sun and the
(example)                             Yellow Dwarf star,                                                 size of Jupiter              planet Mercury
                                              42 light years away.

2.  55 Cancri
 
 

3.  16 Cygnus B
 
 

4.  47 Ursae Majoris
 
 

5.  Tau Bootes
 
 

6.  70 Virginis
 
 

Go back to the “planets orbiting normal stars” menu and under Suspected planets - click on (Visualization)
(of Proxima Centuri), our closest neighboring star to Sol.  You will see six planetary or stellar bodies in the
picture including a moon of the newly discovered planet in the lower right.
7. What are the OTHER FIVE OBJECTS listed and shown in the picture?

 a) ______________________________________________________________________

 b) ______________________________________________________________________

 c) ______________________________________________________________________

 d) ______________________________________________________________________

 e) ______________________________________________________________________
 

Go back a page and click on Proxima Centuri under Suspected Planets, then under Press release photos,
click on “The Scotsman - planet outside our solar system January 1998”.(read column one and the picture)

8. The huge “Substellar object” is orbiting the star _____________  ________________, our nearest stellar
neighbor.
9. There is doubt as to whether the huge body orbiting proxima centuri is a ________________ ,

 or a ________________   __________________.

10. The object is said to be ___________ times the size of Jupiter.
 

Go back to the Star Map menu and click on “Brown Dwarfs” then click on Gleise 229.
11. Gleise 229, a Red Dwarf star, has a planet recently discovered in it’s system. The planet or dead star is
about the same size of our planet Jupiter but about _________ times the mass of Jupiter.
12. Where is the planet located with respect to our solar system?  ____________________________________

 ________________________________________________________________________________
 

Go back to the Star Map menu and click on “Protoplanetary Disks and Protoplanets”  You will first click
on Beta Pictoris, and next Taurus Molecular Ring.
13. The star type given for Beta Pictoris is a Main Sequence ____________    ______________
14. Where is the planet in comparison to our solar system?  _______________________________________

 ______________________________________________________________________________

Go back a page.  Click on Taurus molecular ring. click on observed planetary data and also speculations.
15. What is the size of the planet discovered? ________________________________________________
16. How far away from it’s parent star is it? (one AU is the distance from the Sun to the Earth) _______________
17. Because the planet’s orbit is so far away from it’s parent sun, what do scientist believe the planet is doing?

 ____________________________________________________________________________
 

(end)