Are We Alone In The Universe

Are we alone in the universe. ? This is good question, and it deserves a good answer! In this section on space exploration, we have learned about all of the things that make space travel possible, which allows us to try and answer that question.

 

We have also learned about searching for life, all the possibilities of life in the universe, along with the people and organizations that are looking for life outside of our own planet.

 

Great organizations like the SETI institute. (search for extra terrestrial intelligence)  But, what if we are actually alone in the universe. Is that possible ? Its a difficult question.

The picture above is the famous ‘Pale Blue Dot’ picture that was taken back in 1990 by the Voyager 1 space probe. The picture was taken from 3.7 billion miles away. Can you see pale dot half way up the brown streak on the right hand side of the picture. ? Yes its very hard to see because the picture was taken so far away.

 

This is our planet from space. Everything and everyone that has ever lived, has lived on this tiny spec of dust caught between a sun beam.

 

This is one single planet and one single spec in an entire universe of endless planets.  This tiny spec of rock and water as we know right now is the only place in the universe that supports life, yet we know so little about the universe and we can see only so far right now with our current technology.

 

The odds tell us that the universe, or even our own Milky Way galaxy is littered with planets that have life, but yet we cannot find a single shred of evidence. The answer right now is that we are alone in the universe because we cannot find any life, and life cannot find us.

 

The universe is so vast that maybe we are just being overlooked, and that other life in the universe that is so distance to us either cannot find us or is simply not looking , or looking in the right places.

 

Think of it like this. Searching for life in the universe is like searching for whales in a lake, when they are in the ocean!! Think about it.

 

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. The SETI institute, that stands for Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence is an institute that is committed to the search of Alien life in the universe.    

# 2. The Plate Blue Dot picture was taken by Voyager 1 in 1990.

# 3. Carl Sagan was a famous astronomer who is credited with the famous speech on the Pale Blue Dot.

 

Q&A Corner

Q. What is the name of the organization that searches for life in the universe?

Q. What does SETI stand for?

Q. What is the name of the picture taken by voyager 1 in 1990?

Q. How many miles away was the picture taken?

Q. Who is the astronomer famous for the Pale Blue Dot?

Download questions about are we alone in the universe here: alone in universe (answers are on this page)

For further reading and more information on SETI and the search for Alien life visit https://www.seti.org/