The carbon planet

How much do you know about the planets in our solar system? Read on to find out the latest in scientific research in this area.

Preparation

A planet the size of Jupiter has been discovered and it is one of the hottest ones known to us. This has made scientists think about how planets are formed.

Heat signature

Planets such as Earth have more oxygen than carbon, but what if the composition was reversed? This is a question opened up by a recent discovery of a 'diamond planet' by US and UK scientists, led by Nikku Madhusudhan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and including researchers from Belfast’s Queens University and the University of Warwick. The planet is 1200 light years away from Earth and was observed using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Dr Marek Kukula of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London, whose role is to interpret and comment on astronomical discoveries made by British scientists, explained that researchers initially used the SuperWASP (Wide Angle Search for Planets) robotic observatories operating continuously, all year around. They detected the planet, then it was observed with the Spitzer Space telescope, which according to Dr Kukula 'detected the heat coming from the planet, and from that heat signature they can tell what this planet is made from'.

Giant planet

The planet is very different to Earth. ‘It’s a giant planet,’ explains Dr Kukula, ‘a gas planet, a bit like Jupiter in our solar system. But the interesting thing that they’ve discovered is that it has a very different composition to the planets in our solar system. So where our planets have a half fraction of oxygen then carbon, this planet has it the other way around, it has more carbon than oxygen.’ This suggests that there is more than one way to make a solar system and the range of planets in the universe could be much wider than previously thought.

Diamonds and graphite

Dr Kukula says that if there are smaller planets in the same solar system with a similar composition, rich in carbon, their rocks could be rich in minerals such as carbon and diamonds, unlike Earth which has silica, the sand that rocks on Earth are made from. ‘This is where this diamond planet idea comes from; they haven’t actually detected a diamond planet yet,’ explains Dr Kukula. It’s hypothetical, ‘but you can imagine strange landscapes with black graphite rocks lying around and the surface could be covered with sticky liquids instead of water.’

EXERCISES

Do the preparation task first to help you with the difficult vocabulary. Then read the article and do the exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–f next to the numbers 1–6.

1. …….. NASA      a. a very important element for life on Earth. It is present in our bodies, plants and in diamonds.
2. …….. heat signature      b. turned the other way round
3. …….. carbon      c. the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the USA which is responsible for space research
4. …….. solar system      d. the unique amount of heat which comes from something
5. …….. graphite      e. the Sun, the eight planets and their moons
6. …….. reversed      f. the black substance in a pencil which you write with

1. Check your understanding: true or false

    Circle True or False for these sentences.

1. The planet Earth has the same amount of oxygen as carbon. True False
2. Scientists studied the amount of heat coming from the 'diamond planet'. True False
3. The new planet has a very different composition from the planets in our solar system. True False
4. The discovery of the new planet has led scientists to think that there may be more kinds of planets in the universe than they thought. True False
5. The rocks on Earth are rich in carbon and diamonds. True False
6. Scientists have observed a strange planet with black rocks and a sticky liquid instead of water. True False

2. Check your understanding: gap fill

Read the text and write the correct form of the word in brackets to complete the gaps. Look at the example at the beginning of the text.

Scientists have recently made a very interesting DISCOVERY (DISCOVER). They have found a new planet which is extremely hot. The first _______________ (OBSERVE) of the planet was made using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Scientists have the _______________ (ABLE) to detect the amount of heat coming from a planet and from this they can know what the planet is made of. The new planet has some _______________ (SIMILAR) to the planet Jupiter, but it also has a _______________ (COMPLETE) different composition from planets in our solar system. The new planet has more carbon than oxygen which is _______________ (LIKE) any of the planets near Earth. This has led scientists to use their _______________ (IMAGINE) and to think that there is a _______________ (POSSIBLE) of a diamond planet existing. This diamond planet could have a very strange _______________ (APPEAR).

Discussion

How interested are you in outer space?   Do you think that there may be life on other planets?                                                         I am interested in outer space because …   I think that …   I don’t think that …

Vocabulary Box       Write any new words you have learnt in this lesson.

__________________________________________________________   __________________________________________________________   __________________________________________________________

KEYS

Preparation

1. c 2. d 3. a 4. e 5. f 6. B

1. Check your understanding: true or false

1. False 2. True 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. False

2. Check your understanding: gap fill

1. observation 2. ability 3. similarities 4. completely 5. unlike 6. imagination 7. possibility 8. appearance