The four large Galilean Moons of Jupiter seem unlikely places to look
for life; at first glance they should be cold, dead, icy worlds.
Instead we find tremendous geological diversity, and two big surprises:
volcanically-active Io, and icy Europa. Io is the most volcanically
active world in the Solar System, heated by tides from Jupiter. Europa
is even mor ... Show More
Nov 2009
Lecture 27: Is There Life on Mars?
Is there life on Mars? We begin with a brief historical survey of the idea of inhabitable Mars, from Herschel to Lowell, and look at how the idea of Mars and Martians is deeply embedded in the popular culture. We then turn to spacecraft explorations of Mars, and how they have cha ... Show More
47m 4s
Oct 2009
Lecture 26: The Deserts of Mars
For many, the most likely place in the Solar System to search for life
beyond the Earth is Mars. This lecture describes the properties of
Mars, a desert world with a thin, dry, cold carbon dioxide atmosphere.
I will review evidence that has begun to point unequivocally to the
con ... Show More
47m 26s
Oct 2009
Lecture 25: The Requirements for Life in the Solar System
Having completed our tour of the Solar System, we now turn to a
discussion of the requirements for life, and where those requirements
might be satisfied elsewhere in the Solar System. Some - energy,
complex chemistry, and liquid water - seem obvious, but they are not the
only pos ... Show More
47m 4s
Mar 2022
Comment calculer l'âge d'une étoile ?
La durée de vie d'une étoile peut nous renseigner sur sa composition et sur l'existence éventuelle de la vie dans le cosmos. mais, en dehors du Soleil, il est assez difficile de déterminer l'âge d'une étoile.
L'importance de la masse
En évaluant, grâce à la radioactivité, l'âge d ... Show More
1m 58s