Other final projects
Explore Exoplanet Atmospheres
Investigate the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system, then make a pitch for what exoplanet spectra you’d like to capture with the James Webb Space Telescope.Comparative Exoplanetology
Now that you’ve examined WASP-17b, let’s look at some other exoplanets to see how atmospheric conditions vary among them. All these exoplanets were observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in visible and near-IR wavelengths. A few of the exoplanets also have low-resolution, mid-IR data from the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Consistent with what you learned earlier, almost all the exoplanet spectra featured here are for Hot Jupiters. One planet available here, K2-18b, is a "Super Earth."
Spectrum Tool.
- Under Source 1, choose a transmission spectrum of any of the other exoplanet targets. Adjust the wavelength stretch as needed to view the entire spectrum.
- As with WASP-17b, explore comparison spectra for Atoms and Molecules under Source 2 to complete the Atmospheric Chemistry columns in your Notebook table.
- Explore comparison spectra for Exoplanet Models to complete the "Weather" columns in your Notebook table.
- Complete these steps for a second exoplanet target of your choice.
Spectrum Notebook. Answer these questions in your Notebook.
- Complete the table with an analysis of the Atmospheric Chemistry and “Weather” for two additional exoplanets and describe your evidence.
- For your chosen exoplanets, elaborate on any questions or challenges you had in filling out the evidence for your conclusions in the chart.
- How did your two exoplanet spectra compare? Describe which target had better resolution or data quality, which was easier to interpret, and why.
Source 1:
Brightness 
Wavelength (microns) Source 2:
Brightness Wavelength (microns)