Working In Planetary Science

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Working In Planetary Science

Planetary science is an exciting area of study that involves the research of planetary bodies. This includes planets, their moons and even the search for extraterrestrial life on those planets and moons. Most planetary scientists are particularly interested in our solar system.

The Goals Of Planetary Science

Looking for extraterrestrial life is actually one of the main goals of today’s planetary science. A lot of different people with specialties in a variety of fields actually work in planetary science. This includes organic chemists that look at molecules, biologists, physicists and more. These people all work together. A lot of people want to know where we came from, where life came from and if the Earth is unique in that sense. Whether or not our home planet is unique is one of the fundamental questions that drive planetary science and the scientists are working to create the tools and technology to determine this.

Who Can Work In Planetary Science

Again, a lot of different people can work in planetary science. Many specialties are suited to working on the search for life. Biologists, chemists, physicists, engineers and analysts are all closely involved and working together everyday toward this common goal. Pilots are also needed to navigate space crafts and there are even people working in robotics and on all sorts of other technologies.

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The Search For Extraterrestrial Life

The Apollo missions to the Moon were actually intended to look for life there. The various areas on the Moon that we refer to as “seas” – like the Sea of Tranquility and the Sea of Serenity – were actually believed to be dried up sea beds. The Apollo astronauts went to look for sedimentary rocks and other signs of life. The Moon proved to be quite barren, but the search for life, and planetary science, evolved from there.

The Daily Life Of A Planetary Scientist

Most of what planetary scientists work on today are engineering issues. They are working to make bigger and better space crafts in order to explore and gather data on other planets. The biggest obstacle in planetary science is gathering this data so that other scientists can look at it. Crafts need to be able to survive space. Space is dangerous and everything in space is really far apart. New space crafts are rigorously tested to make sure they can withstand the time, distance and anything else they may encounter on their way to other planetary bodies.

The Role Of Science Fiction

Many scientists enjoy and have an appreciation of science fiction. As modern science progresses, especially planetary science, we are finding that more and more science fiction is turning out to be true. A lot of science fiction has turned out to be plausible or even possible and it is delving more and more into theoretical areas of science. Theoretical physics plays a big role in a lot of the more advanced areas of planetary science. Science fiction is also fun and interesting. It gives you ideas and concepts to think about.

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