Tau Ceti
There’s been a recent discovery of a Sun-like star who is predicted to host 5 planets. This star is known as Tau Ceti. It is believed that this star has a planet located within the Goldilocks Zone (habitable zone). Tau Ceti is located at a distance of 12 light years away and its five planets are estimated to be two to six times the mass of Earth. Bloggers and journalists have done a good job spreading the word about this so called Sun-like star, but most of the papers out there aren’t exactly giving out a full true coverage on what’s going on. To go deeper in my investigation, I developed self generated questions about this topic, researched meaningful words/topics that had something to do with Tau Ceti, and interviewed an individual. Here’s all my information gatherings below, step by step, starting with my self generated questions.
Self-Generated Questions:
(The Problem) Would the 5 possible planets that Tau Ceti is ‘hosting’ be suitable for human/animal life?
(The Problem) Where would Tau Ceti be located in a H-R Diagram [or] Where is Tau Ceti located in a H-R Diagram?
(The Problem) With our knowledge on light years/distance, how long would it take to get from Earth to the 5 maybe-planets around Tau Ceti?
(The Problem) If the ‘planets’ are estimated to have masses between 2 and 6 times the mass of the Earth, do we predict them to be gas planets or terrestrial planets?
(Mission Deliverable) Do the five planets (that might be) in orbit of Tau Ceti have a relative path to the ones that the planets in our solar system have around our Sun?
(Guiding Question) Why would journalists/bloggers either misrepresent facts or not present some about Tau Ceti?
Researched Topics:
Light Years
Tau Ceti
Goldilocks Zone
Bayesian Analysis Methods
Project OZMA
W.M. Keck Observatory
Tau Ceti is said to be 12 light years away, while most of us know what light years/distance is, lets reinforce it to everybody. Light years is the distance light can travel in a years time, this distance is equivalent to about 9,461,000,000,000 kilometers. It’s important to know that light years measures distance and NOT time. The speed in which light travels is about 300,000 km/second. Using light years as a distance measurement helps you determine age as well.
Some information about Tau Ceti is that it’s the closest and most Sun-like star to us. It might host five planets and it’s said to have one of its planets located in the Goldilocks zone, as I said before. Signals for Tau Ceti hosting five planets exist, yet scientists are uncertain about the signals’ planetary origin.
Like said in the first paragraph, the Goldilocks Zone is the life zone, or the habitable zone. It is an area in space in which a planet is just the right distance from it’s home star- the surface isn’t too hot or too cold. The planets in this area are often close to the size of Earth. Be sure to not confuse it with planetary habitability.
Upon some research about the Bayesian Analysis Methods, I learned a lot about an unknown topic to me. Basically, a bayesian uses probability to express belief in a statement about unknown quantities. When a bayesian is evaluating two competing hypothesis, he can calculate the probability of each and see which is the greatest. Lastly, the difference between a frequentist and a bayesian approach to statistical inference is in the definition of probability-a bayesian uses subjective probability.
Project OZMA didn’t have much juice to squeeze out of it. Project OZMA was the first SETI Project- Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence- which was in 1960. This project was conducted by an astronomer named Frank Drake. “During the 1960’s, Project OZMA led by SETI’s Frank Drake, probed Tau Ceti for signs of life by studying interstellar radio waves with the Green Bank radio telescope.” -http://www.universetoday.com
Last but not least, W.M. Keck Observatory. This observatory is located in Hawaii and is the one that owns the twin Keck Telescopes, obviously, which are the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes. Keck Telescopes offer the greatest potential sensitivity and clarity available in astronomy. Today, the Keck Observatory is a 501(c)^3 supported by both public funding sources and private philanthropy. How is the W.M. Keck Observatory relates to Tau Ceti? Well, a report on http://www.keckobservatory.org says this, “An international team of astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory and other telescopes, has discovered that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may host five planets – with one in the elusive ‘Goldilocks Zone’.” Therefore, it was on the Keck Observatory that Tau Ceti was discovered.
Interview on Self Generated Questions:
I interviewed an intellectual individual over my self generated questions, he asked to stay anonymous, but these are the answers I got:
1. “Yes, because if it’s a planet like this Earth I’m thinking it’ll have the same structure as this Earth.”
2. “Somewhere like where the Sun is.”
3. “I’m guessing it would be more than a decade.”
4. “Gas planets, maybe. The gas planets in our solar system are a few times greater in mass than our earth, therefore, the ones orbiting Tau Ceti might be the same thing.”
5. “Depending on the gravitational pull that Tau Ceti has we will know if the orbit path is closer, further, or relatively similar than the ones in our galaxy.”
6. “Most likely to make their paper, journal, essay or whatever, more appealing to the humans.”
-Anonymous.
In conclusion to my report, Tau Ceti has much more behind it than just being the closest Sun-like star to us. But.. what IS the information missing from the mainstream media coverage of Tau Ceti? I think the journalists should start digging deeper into topics within the main topic. Obviously, the research done by an 8th grader cannot compare to the research done by a professional journalist, therefore, it should be better and more detailed. Journalists and bloggers have to interview astronomers, scientists, or even better, someone that would be able to make their report a primary resource for others. Tau Ceti has many mysteries to yet be discovered, but as they get discovered, I hope journalists/bloggers/reporters get a detailed scoop of it all, with no information missing and nothing being unknown to the readers.
Self-Generated Questions:
(The Problem) Would the 5 possible planets that Tau Ceti is ‘hosting’ be suitable for human/animal life?
(The Problem) Where would Tau Ceti be located in a H-R Diagram [or] Where is Tau Ceti located in a H-R Diagram?
(The Problem) With our knowledge on light years/distance, how long would it take to get from Earth to the 5 maybe-planets around Tau Ceti?
(The Problem) If the ‘planets’ are estimated to have masses between 2 and 6 times the mass of the Earth, do we predict them to be gas planets or terrestrial planets?
(Mission Deliverable) Do the five planets (that might be) in orbit of Tau Ceti have a relative path to the ones that the planets in our solar system have around our Sun?
(Guiding Question) Why would journalists/bloggers either misrepresent facts or not present some about Tau Ceti?
Researched Topics:
Light Years
Tau Ceti
Goldilocks Zone
Bayesian Analysis Methods
Project OZMA
W.M. Keck Observatory
Tau Ceti is said to be 12 light years away, while most of us know what light years/distance is, lets reinforce it to everybody. Light years is the distance light can travel in a years time, this distance is equivalent to about 9,461,000,000,000 kilometers. It’s important to know that light years measures distance and NOT time. The speed in which light travels is about 300,000 km/second. Using light years as a distance measurement helps you determine age as well.
Some information about Tau Ceti is that it’s the closest and most Sun-like star to us. It might host five planets and it’s said to have one of its planets located in the Goldilocks zone, as I said before. Signals for Tau Ceti hosting five planets exist, yet scientists are uncertain about the signals’ planetary origin.
Like said in the first paragraph, the Goldilocks Zone is the life zone, or the habitable zone. It is an area in space in which a planet is just the right distance from it’s home star- the surface isn’t too hot or too cold. The planets in this area are often close to the size of Earth. Be sure to not confuse it with planetary habitability.
Upon some research about the Bayesian Analysis Methods, I learned a lot about an unknown topic to me. Basically, a bayesian uses probability to express belief in a statement about unknown quantities. When a bayesian is evaluating two competing hypothesis, he can calculate the probability of each and see which is the greatest. Lastly, the difference between a frequentist and a bayesian approach to statistical inference is in the definition of probability-a bayesian uses subjective probability.
Project OZMA didn’t have much juice to squeeze out of it. Project OZMA was the first SETI Project- Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence- which was in 1960. This project was conducted by an astronomer named Frank Drake. “During the 1960’s, Project OZMA led by SETI’s Frank Drake, probed Tau Ceti for signs of life by studying interstellar radio waves with the Green Bank radio telescope.” -http://www.universetoday.com
Last but not least, W.M. Keck Observatory. This observatory is located in Hawaii and is the one that owns the twin Keck Telescopes, obviously, which are the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes. Keck Telescopes offer the greatest potential sensitivity and clarity available in astronomy. Today, the Keck Observatory is a 501(c)^3 supported by both public funding sources and private philanthropy. How is the W.M. Keck Observatory relates to Tau Ceti? Well, a report on http://www.keckobservatory.org says this, “An international team of astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory and other telescopes, has discovered that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may host five planets – with one in the elusive ‘Goldilocks Zone’.” Therefore, it was on the Keck Observatory that Tau Ceti was discovered.
Interview on Self Generated Questions:
I interviewed an intellectual individual over my self generated questions, he asked to stay anonymous, but these are the answers I got:
1. “Yes, because if it’s a planet like this Earth I’m thinking it’ll have the same structure as this Earth.”
2. “Somewhere like where the Sun is.”
3. “I’m guessing it would be more than a decade.”
4. “Gas planets, maybe. The gas planets in our solar system are a few times greater in mass than our earth, therefore, the ones orbiting Tau Ceti might be the same thing.”
5. “Depending on the gravitational pull that Tau Ceti has we will know if the orbit path is closer, further, or relatively similar than the ones in our galaxy.”
6. “Most likely to make their paper, journal, essay or whatever, more appealing to the humans.”
-Anonymous.
In conclusion to my report, Tau Ceti has much more behind it than just being the closest Sun-like star to us. But.. what IS the information missing from the mainstream media coverage of Tau Ceti? I think the journalists should start digging deeper into topics within the main topic. Obviously, the research done by an 8th grader cannot compare to the research done by a professional journalist, therefore, it should be better and more detailed. Journalists and bloggers have to interview astronomers, scientists, or even better, someone that would be able to make their report a primary resource for others. Tau Ceti has many mysteries to yet be discovered, but as they get discovered, I hope journalists/bloggers/reporters get a detailed scoop of it all, with no information missing and nothing being unknown to the readers.