1. Year 7 Astronomy
Is there anybody out there?

2. Lesson Outline
• Intro: The known universe (Video)
• Exploring Mars
• Space exploration is expensive!
• Is there anybody out there?
• If we have time: Myth Busters

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufl_Nwbl8xs

4. What is the difference between the
following terms?
- Solar system
- galaxy
- Universe
What is the difference between the
following terms?
- Solar system
- galaxy
- Universe

5. What do you know about mars?
• Cold desert world.
• Like Earth, Mars has seasons, polar
ice caps, volcanoes, canyons and
weather.
• Atmosphere is too thin for liquid
water to exist for long on the surface.
• Signs of ancient floods on Mars, but
evidence for water now exists mainly
in icy soil and thin clouds.
Why do you think
SCIENTISTS would be
interested in exploring this
planet?

6. Exploring mars
In 1965, the Nasa craft Mariner
4 took the first close-up pictures
of the planet (RIGHT).
Over the next 25 years,
America and Russia had only
successfully landed three space
probes- NASA’s two Viking
landers in 1976 and its Mars
Pathfinder in 1997.

7. • NASA’s newest rover.
• Blasted off to Mars on 25th
November, 2011.
• Costs $25 billion.
• Collecting information from Mars, and searching for signs of life.
• NASA’s newest rover.
• Blasted off to Mars on 25th
November, 2011.
• Costs $25 billion.
• Collecting information from Mars, and searching for signs of life.

8. Curiosity's First Low-Resolution Color Panorama: 8th
AUGUST 2012.

9. Space exploration is expensive!
• The United States and Russia have
spent BILLIONS OF DOLLARS trying
to land a space probe on Mars.
• Do you think billions of dollars
spent on space exploration is
worth it, when we have billions of
people on Earth living in poverty?

10. Is anybody out there?
Since humans first began to take
an interest in the heavens, we
have been fascinated by the idea
that we might not be alone in the
universe.
What do you think?

11. The seti institute
• SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.
• Founded in November, 1984.
• Seeks evidence of life in the universe by looking for
signs of its technology.
THE PIONIEER PLAQUE:
• In 1972, the Pioneer 10 space probe began its journey
across and ultimately out of our solar system.
• On board was a golden plaque designed to
communicate to aliens what humans looked like, that
we were intelligent, and where we lived.

12. Do you think
an Alien
would be able
to understand
this message?

13. Activity: a message from earth!
• Divide into groups of 3 to 4. You
are in charge of extraterrestrial
greetings!
• Brainstorm ideas about the
information or message you
would include in an
extraterrestrial greeting. How
would you translate your greeting
to an alien?
• Design a plaque with your
message from Earth.
• Present to the class!

14. Mythbusters!