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Galaxy - in the eyes of a Physicist

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What are Exoplanets?

An extrasolar planet, or “exoplanet”, is any planet that orbits a star other than the Sun. We know of exoplanets of all sizes, from bigger than Jupiter to smaller than Earth. Just like in our Solar System, exoplanets can orbit their stars at any distance; some exoplanets orbit so close to their stars that their surface temperatures are hot enough to melt iron! Some exoplanets will orbit at just the right distance that we say they’re in their star’s “habitable zone”, that they are the right temperature to have liquid water at their surface and might be able to support life. Exoplanets are difficult to see directly from Earth. Because they are so small and faint, they are easily lost in the glare of the bright stars they orbit, so we often use indirect methods to find them. One of these is called the “transit method”, where we carefully measure the brightness of a star over a long period of time, and look for periodic decreases in the brightness of a star that are caused by a planet ...

What is Geography?

Geography is the science of place and space. Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the earth, why they are located where they are, how places differ from one another, and how people interact with the environment. Geographers have skills to analyze environmental information: cartography (map making) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Geographers care about the spatial aspects of human existence - how people and their activity are distributed in space and how they create and sustain the places that make up the earth's surface. Because we study the linkages between human activity and natural systems, geographers were among the first scientists to sound the alarm that human-induced changes to the environment is threatening the balance of life itself. We are active in the study of global warming, desertification, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, groundwater pollution, and flooding. To put it in simple words, studying geography can ...

Planetary Science - A little understanding

Planetary science (rarely planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation, interrelations and history. Planetary scientists work to improve our understanding of the planets, satellites and smaller bodies in the solar system through: Studying the atmospheres, surfaces and interiors of planets, Understanding the origins of planets and the physical processes at work, and Using radar to determine the physical characteristics of asteroids and to search for asteroids that may pose a hazard to Earth. Research is carried out in the laboratory, from astronomical facilities throughout the world, and from spacecraft and landers, including the Mars rovers. Sources and Credits: Wikipedia , NASA

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