In this thesis, I have tried to explain what planets are and how to determine which object on the night sky is a planet. I am interested in the methods, used to detect exoplanets and which of them are more accurate than the other. I have used the data about all the confirmed planets from a website called Exoplanet.eu. The thesis continues with ESA space mission GAIA and a description of its capabilities. The exoplanet discovery data from Gaia has not yet been released, but is expected to in the first half of next year. I have also made a data comparison of already known planets (mass, size, distance, orbital period etc.) and tried to predict what we can expect from Gaia. Is life on other planets possible for humanity is a question I'm trying to discuss. Astronomy in primary school isn't a core topic in physics classes, so I have made an example of a simple course on how to explain to primary school students about the discovery of exoplanets and a comparison model of the solar system proportions like planetary size, distances etc.
|
