Astronomy 1110

Homework #5

Astrobiology and Spacecraft

Due at start of class, Thursday, July 6.

1. Different Views on the World?
The largest telescope in the world is the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico, 1000 feet across (one of the ones Jodi Foster used). The largest optical telescope (using visible light) are the 10-meter Keck telescopes in Hawaii. The largest telescope in space is the 2.4-meter Hubble Space Telescope. The highest resolution images of the Jovian satellites, however, are from the Galileo spacecraft. Explain how these four telescopes are different, and how they are the same.

2. Evidence of our Civilization
Discussion Question 1, Ch. 13 in the text (p. 397)

3. What is life?
Write your own definition of life, in several sentences. Is there a difference in your definition between plants and animals - or other kingdoms? Should there be? Would a self-replicating robot (a robot, which is built to build another robot from scratch, which builds another one, each of them getting better and better) fit your definition of life? Should it?


Dr. Henry Throop, University of Colorado / throop@broccoli.colorado.edu

Last modified 3-Jul-2000