In 1996 astronomers discovered a planet orbiting the star Upsilon Andromedae Recently they have found two more planets orbiting Upsilon Andromedae This is the first evidence of a solar system beyond ours

130 Achievements Lesson D 131

Goal 4 Discuss scientific achievements

Talk to a partner about other scientific achievements

Writing

A Are there other planets outside the solar system Read and check your answer

D GOAL 4 DISCUSS SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Reading

Uncovering the Mysteries of the Universe

GARY PUNIWAI sits at the controls of the Keck 1 telescope the worldrsquos most powerful telescope on the summit of the highest peak in the Pacific The telescope focuses on objects in space more than 10 billion years old

Since people started looking at stars we have achieved a lot The ancient Egyptians believed that the stars were very nearmdashalmost close enough to touch Just a few hundred years ago in the 16th and 17th centuries most Europeans thought that the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun revolved

around the earth But modern science has expanded our understanding and we know the earth is a small planet that goes around an ordinary star in the Milky Way galaxy We also know that there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the universe We live on a small planet in a very large universe

But there are many questions we havenrsquot answered yet For example are we the only intelligent life in the universe Scientists have discovered that there are other planets in the universe However all the planets that they have found are much bigger than the earthmdashabout the size of Jupitermdashand they probably donrsquot have life on them But who knows

Also we have discovered that the universe contains something called Dark Matter We know it is there but we canrsquot see it and there is a lot of it Some scientists say that as much as 70 percent of the universe is made from this Dark Matter They have looked high and low for the missing matter but they have not found it

Science has achieved a lot but there are still some very big questions we need to answer Or will science reach some limit like the Pillars of Hercules the classical symbol for what lies at the edge of what we know On these pillars according to legend was written in Latin ldquoNe plus ultrardquomdashNo further Are there are some things we will never understand

Word Focus

orbit = to go round and round a planet moon or star solar system = the sun and all the planets

B Answer the questions

1 What is Gary Puniwairsquos job _________ _______________________________

2 Are there other planets outside our solar system ________________________ _______________________________

3 Why is Dark Matter difficult to find _______________________________ _______________________________

4 What have we learned since people started looking at stars ___________ _______________________________

5 Do you think there are some things that we will never understand Give your reasons ________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

Hi Ana

Howrsquos life I havenrsquot heard from you for a long time Whatrsquos newIrsquove changed jobs three times since we last met Irsquom now a technician at the Keck telescopes I havenrsquot been here long but I like it And guess what Irsquove started an online course in physics Yes Irsquom going to be a scientist

Anyway what have you done since I saw you last Let me know

Gary

Gary Puniwai is an observing assistant in the Keck Observatory control rooms on Mauna Kea Hawaii

Gary is writing to a friend Answer the email

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2009

1479903

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