The document discusses the possibility of life existing beyond Earth. It begins by outlining a student project on this topic, then examines what makes Earth habitable by discussing factors like its atmosphere, temperature, water, size, and other characteristics. Several reasons for the possibility of life on other planets are provided, such as the theory of evolution and the building blocks of life being found elsewhere in the universe. Specific neighboring planets and moons like Mars and Europa are discussed in terms of their potential to support life. Major space exploration programs like Voyager, Hubble, and James Webb are summarized. Finally, the challenges of searching for a new habitable planet like Earth are addressed, such as the immense distances involved and financial costs of colonizing other

1. LIFE BEYOND EARTH
BY ABHIJIT PAL, AISHWARYA, ADITYA, ALOK, AJIT
BSN 1ST YEAR , AMITY UNIVERSITY GURUGRAM, HARYANA

2. PROJECT OVERVIEW
1. Why Is There Life On Earth? By Aishwarya
2. Are we really alone in this universe?/
Reasons for possibility of life on other planets
By Alok
3. Possibility of Life in our Neighbors By Ajit
4. Space Exploration Programmes By Aditya
5. Search For A New Earth By Abhijit Pal

3. What Makes The Earth Habitable?

4. Atmosphere
• Earth has a breathable atmosphere.
• Presence of Important Gases like Oxygen and Nitrogen.
• Earth's atmosphere is thick enough to prevent poisonous rays of
radiation from getting through it.

5. Temperature
• Earth has a suitable temperature.
• The distance of orbit of earth satisfies the Goldilocks zone.
• Goldilocks Zone: The 'Goldilocks Zone,' or habitable zone, is the range of distance
with the right temperatures for water to remain liquid.
• Situated from the sun at such a distance, it receives a perfect amount of solar
energy from the sun.
• Moderate amount of carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere.

6. Water
● Water is believed to be the most important chemical necessary for life
● Contains the oxygen needed for life
● Allows life-providing molecules to move around easily

7. The Right Size of Earth
• Smaller the size, lesser the gravity of the planet —» less escape velocity and
that's why it's easy to escape for gases and then there remains no atmospheric
pressure.
• Larger the size, a more denser atmosphere —» causes an increment in
atmospheric pressure.

8. Presence of Ozone Layer
● Earth has a dense Ozone layer which prevents ultraviolet rays of sun and
saves us.

9. Presence of Magnetic Field
• Present because of Earth's solid inner core and liquid outer core.
• Plays crucial role in protecting life from deadly solar radiation.
• Differences in temperature and composition in the two core regions —»
Earth's protective electromagnetic field.

10. Presence of Moon
• Earth has the largest moon of all rocky planets.
• Having 1/3 the size of Earth, the Moon holds our planet at its tilt and fixes its
rotational axis.
• Because of the suitable tilt, we don't experience extreme seasons.

11. The Right Neighbours
● Jupiter — The Vacuum Cleaner of the Solar System.
● Shields Earth from constant stellar bombardment.
● Jupiter's gravity deflects the comets or asteroids out of the solar system if
these are pointed towards earth. It swallows most of the dangers.

12. Reasons for possibility of life on other planets
1. Theory of evolution
• It states that life adapts to environmental conditions. Though Darwin hardly
thought about life on other planets when creating his theory of evolution, he
argued that in a place habitable for life it will certainly take root.
• So if we think that our environment is not only our planet but other planets and
star systems, as well as interstellar space, an unusual interpretation of the theory
of evolution can be made: maybe life can adapt even to the open space. Maybe,
one day, we will meet up with really unimaginable living beings.
2. The mystery of the origin of life on Earth
• Although there is a recognized theory about the origin of life on Earth, there is a
mystery of how carbon molecules came to form fragile membranes, which
eventually became cells. The more we learn about a hostile environment that
existed on Earth when life was emerging and developing, the more questions arise
about the origin of life.

13. Reasons for possibility of life on other planets
• According to the panspermia theory, single-celled life could have been brought to
Earth by meteorites from somewhere else.
3. Variety and persistence of life on Earth
• It is a fact that life on earth evolved in extremely difficult conditions, having
survived ice ages, meteorite impacts, powerful volcanic eruptions, droughts, etc.
Moreover, life on our planet has become very diverse in a relatively short period
of time.
• Why would not the same thing happen on another planet in our solar system, or
even in another star system?
4. Extremophiles on Earth
• Extremophiles are organisms that can survive in the extreme conditions of cold,
heat, exposure to toxic chemicals, and even in the vacuum. These creatures can
live in subglacial lakes in the Arctic or in the hot volcanic vents.

14. Reasons for possibility of life on other planets
• Tardigrades, amazing tiny organisms, can survive even in the vacuum. Thus we see
that life can exist in such a hostile environment on Earth, therefore it can also exist
on planets radically different from Earth.
5. A rapidly increasing number of Earth-like planets
• In the last decade, a great number of planets outside the solar system were
discovered, many of which are gas giants like Jupiter. However, technological
advantages have allowed scientists to find smaller, solid planets like Earth.
• Moreover, some of them are in the so-called “habitable zone”, i.e. at such a
distance from their star that they approach the terrestrial temperatures. Given the
great number of planets outside our solar system, there is a probability that there
are forms of life on one of them.

15. Reasons for possibility of life on other planets
6. Building blocks of life on other planets
• It is believed that life on Earth began from chemical reactions that led to the formation
of cell membranes and DNA. However, these chemical reactions could have begun
from complex organic compounds, such as proteins, nucleic acids, etc.
• There is evidence that such substances already exist on other planets. For example,
they were found in Titan’s atmosphere and in the environment of the Orion Nebula. Of
course, this does not mean that there is life, but, according to many scientists, these
substances contributed to the development of life on Earth. If they are common
throughout the universe, it is likely that life emerged in other places too.
7. Oceans and lakes are very common in our solar system
Life on Earth emerged in the ocean, so it could happen in the same way on other planets.
There is evidence that once there was water on Mars and on Titan, one of Saturn’s
moons. It is also believed that once there was a big ocean on Jupiter’s moon Europa,
covered with a thick ice layer. Until we find solid evidence, the question of whether life
exists on other planets rather than our own is going to puzzle us for long.

16. Possibility of Life in our Neighbors

17. WATER
• Life on Earth fundamentally requires H2O. Where there is water, organic
molecules can come together and form living systems. These, in turn, reproduce
and pass down genetic material. That’s why astronomers are so obsessed with
finding water on other moons and planets.
• What makes water so vital? It has chemical properties that no other natural
substance in the world can emulate. It takes a lot of energy to change the
temperature of water — so it does a great job of insulating bodies from the cold
while keeping them cool under heat. It’s excellent at carrying nutrients into cells
while expelling waste and toxins. It can withstand sharp pressure shifts. It’s really
good at dissolving other others substances. Simply put, life as we know it can’t
exist without water.
Possibility of Life in our Neighbors

18. GAS BIOSIGNATURES
• Liquid isn’t the only state of matter that matters. It’s not always pleasant, but
it’s a reality that living things on Earth produce gas. The large amounts of
specific gases in our atmosphere act as biosignatures of life. Inorganic
geochemical processes can produce gas — but concentrations of certain gases
would be a good sign of life on another planet.
• Oxygen is the biggest signature on Earth, and methane is a close second. But
other biosignatures include any kind of carbon-based gas. And really, besides
the noble gases, life on Earth is produces every single gas known to man. Just
imagine walking through a dense forest, or along the ocean. Everything you
smell that’s a sign of life is technically a biosignatures.
Possibility of Life in our Neighbors

19. RADIO WAVES
• Here’s where we distinguish the search for just any signs of alien life and the search
for intelligence. If aliens are anything like us, chances are good they can harness
radio waves for communication and scientific purposes. Nikola Tesla was one of the
first people to suggest aliens might try to reach us through radio transmission. As
our radio telescopes have improved, the possibility of stumbling on E.T.’s radio are
better than ever.
• One of the most promising radio telescopes is the Square Kilometer Array under
construction in Australia and South America. When completed, it will be 50 times
more sensitive than any other radio instrument, capable of scanning the sky 10,000
times faster than we can now. Wherever the radio waves passing through our solar
system might originate — be it inside the Milky Way, or from a galaxy dozens of
light-years away — this array could pick them up.
Possibility of Life in our Neighbors

20. HEAVY ELEMENTS
• It stands to reason that intelligent life would rely on the same heavy elements we
use to construct infrastructure and technology in our sentient civilization.
• We’re not simply talking about metals like gold and iron and aluminum. We’re
talking bigger. Nuclear. Stephen Hawking once observed that “when intelligent
life gets smart enough to send signals into space, it is also busying itself with
stockpiling nuclear bombs.”
• In that case, that species needs to deal with nuclear waste. Nuclear material
collected in unusually large concentrations on a planet — or even out in space —
might be a sign of an intelligent civilization nearby. A fortuitous sign, but we
would want to be a little cautious that introductions don’t inadvertently trigger
an interstellar nuclear war.
Possibility of Life in our Neighbors

21. ARTIFACTS
• If Mars was overflowing in vast oceans at some point in its ancient history, then
perhaps some form of life existed on the red planet. And if this was intelligent life,
there must be some sign it that still remains.
• That’s the hope among some scientists looking to find alien artifacts sitting on Mars
or some other planet or moon. These could be ruins of an ancient city or small tools
hidden away in a cave. Or anything else in between. Looking for alien artifacts
would actually not be too dissimilar from how archaeologists study early humans.
• Furthermore, artifacts aren’t necessarily a sign that species has gone extinct. They
may have migrated to another planet, and what remains are leftovers from a failed
or lost colony.
Possibility of Life in our Neighbors

22. Space Exploration Programs
• VOYAGER SPACE MISSION
• VOYAGER 1. = Launched on September 5 1977
• It is the first man made object to cross sun heliosphere and heliopause to enter
in Interstellar space on August 25 2012.
• As per latest data it is about 25.5 billion km far away from earth moving at a
speed of 61,500km per hour.
• VOYAGER 2 = Launched on August 20 1977
• It is the first man made object to flyby Uranus and Neptune. And after Voyager
1 it become the second one to cross sun heliosphere and heliopause to reach
interstellar space on November 5 2018.
• As per latest data it is about 19.9 billion km far from earth moving at a speed of
15.341 km/s

23. • DISCOVERIES FROM VOYAGER SPACE MISSION –
• Voyager 1 discovered a thin ring around Jupiter and two new jovian moons Thebe
and Metis *
• At Saturn it discover 5 new moons and a new ring called G- ring. *Voyager 2
discovered a 14th moon at Jupiter.
• At Uranus it discover 10 new moons and two new rings.
• Voyager 2 discovered five moons four rings and the great dark spot of Neptune. It
also discover existence of hydrogen helium gas on Neptune.

24. VOYAGER SPACE MISSION

25. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
• It is a space telescope that was launched into low earth orbit on 24th April 1990
and remain in operation till now
• It is one of the biggest space mission ever to explore space and to study life
beyond earth
• It is named after a great astronomer EDWIN HUBBLE
• It can even see 12 to 13 billion light years away from earth
• Discoveries
• Discovering a runaway universe
• Tracing the growth of galaxies
• Recognizing worlds beyond our sun
• Realizing monster black holes are everywhere
• Icy objects in Kuiper belt
• Hubble had made more than 1.3 million observation till now.

26. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

27. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
• Launched on 24 December 2021
• Biggest space mission ever in history of space science
• It will find the first galaxies that formed in the early and peer through dusty
clouds to see stars forming planetary systems.
•
• With the web we will able to see back in time to the earliest object in the
universe for the first time.

28. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

29. Search For A New Earth

30. Search For A New Earth
Why should we search for a new planet
like Earth ?
• Lack of Resources
• Pollution
• Population
• Global warming
• Deforestation

31. Finding Another Earth

32. Gliese 667Cc
• 22 light-years from Earth
• 4.5 times as massive as Earth
• completes one orbit around its host star in a mere 28 days
• but that star is a red dwarf considerably cooler than the sun
Kepler-22b
• 600 light-years away
• first Kepler planet found in the habitable zone of its parent star
• considerably larger than Earth — about 2.4 times our planet's size
• Its orbit is about 290 days long.
Kepler-69c
• about 2,700 light-years away
• about 70 percent larger than Earth
Finding Another Earth

33. • one orbit every 242 days
• host star is about 80 percent as luminous as the sun
Kepler-62f
• about 40 percent larger than Earth
• orbits a star much cooler than our sun
• Its 267-day orbit
• lies about 1,200 light-years away
Kepler-186f
• at most 10 percent larger than Earth
• Kepler-186f's parent star is a red dwarf, so the
alien world is not a true Earth twin
• The planet lies about 500 light-years from
Earth
• Kepler-186f receives just one-third of the
energy from its star that Earth gets from the sun
Finding Another Earth

34. It’s Not As Easy As It Looks
Why are we going to Mars and not Kepler?
• The fastest spacecraft we have ever built is Voyager 1, traveling about 11 miles per
second.
• Kepler is 587 light-years away, give or take.
• It would take us, at Voyager 1 speeds, about 9,925,636 years to reach Kepler.

35. The Financial Cost
• While it’s true that we currently have the capability to try to colonize distant
worlds, the sheer amount of money that would go into such a venture could be
just as astronomical.
• Some initial estimates point to around $150 billion to colonize Mars, and that’s the
optimistic low end of the scale.
• It doesn’t seem like that much considering the potential benefits to humanity in
the long run, but with just a $120 billion investment we could halve the number of
starving people worldwide.
• we should prioritize our needs before we start a new chapter in human evolution

36. Measuring Distance With Time
• Almost all scientists will agree that distance is actually measured with time.
• Space and time are not two different things, but one and the same.
• When we want to meet with someone, we always specify both a time and place
since mentioning only one will get us nowhere.
• But humans operate with infinitesimally small numbers compared to what the
Universe is used to.
• An object moving at the speed of light, like a photon, will experience no time
passing when traveling millions of light-years.
• The speed of light is the maximum allowed in the universe, and that photon travels
that distance in an instant.
• What does this have to do with us staying put here on Earth, you ask? We need to
consider the huge distances and times the Universe works with.

37. Taking Responsibility
• History has shown us that many people only begin to change when they
absolutely have to, and not a second sooner.
• War, famine, discrimination, pollution and wastefulness are traits humanity
should leave behind before starting to think about copying itself on distant
worlds.
• We should make human life on Earth a functioning system that works in
equilibrium with its surrounding environment before we decide to colonize other
planets.

38. A.I
• Robots can aid future colonists by doing the heavy lifting and providing them with
vital information.
• Scientists are developing robots that can fight fires autonomously, robots that can
carry heavy loads on even the most treacherous of terrain, and cars that can drive
themselves.
• Then there’s Watson, which is basically an accumulation of all human medical
knowledge.
• All of these inventions could come in handy when colonizing other planets, but it
may take some time before they’re totally reliable.

39. Genetics
• As Europeans first arrived in the Americas and over 90% of the indigenous
population died because of disease, so too can a new plague wreak havoc among
people who are genetically related.
• A modern, diverse society will also continue to show us its dark side with cases of
discrimination, racism and intolerance, thus bringing us to our next point.

40. Thank You!