Living Worlds Discussion

Wherever we find life on Earth, we discover that it has adapted perfectly to the environment in which it lives. In our study of astronomy, however, we have encountered some very unusual places. If life were to exist in one of these extraterrestrial environments, it must have adapted some unusual traits in order to survive under such unusual conditions. In this discussion, you will invent your own new life form that is perfectly adapted to thrive in a strange extraterrestrial environment. To begin, read the brief descriptions below of four potentially habitable worlds.

Europa: One of Jupiter’s largest Moons, Europa is covered with a thick layer of ice. Jupiter’s strong gravity likely heats the interior of the moon, leading many astronomers to speculate that there may be a vast water ocean beneath the ice capable of supporting life.

Kepler-186f: Orbiting a red dwarf star within the habitable zone, Kepler-186f is illuminated by distinctly red light. While we don’t know the contents of its atmosphere, the prospect of liquid water on the surface suggests a wide variety of plant and animal life may live there. How would life evolve differently on a planet with a red sun?

Proxima b: The nearest extrasolar planet to Earth, Proxima b is only slightly larger than our home planet, but it orbits its host star once every 11 days. It is likely to be small and rocky and could possibly possess an atmosphere, but it is known to be bombarded by radiation from its star. Liquid water could exist on the surface, but the planet is likely to be very hot.

Draugr (PSR B1257+12 A): Perhaps one of the strangest planets ever found, Draugr is only 1.5 times the size of the Moon. It orbits around a pulsar and so it would seem that there is no bright daytime, but only night. All life on Earth fundamentally depends on energy from our Sun, so any life on Draugr must have found a creative mechanism for harvesting energy to survive.

Select one of these worlds and complete the following:

Design a living organism that is perfectly adapted to survive in the unusual location you chose. You may either draw this creature by hand or use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or another generative AI tool of your choice. You will not be graded on your artistic ability, but please create a full-color image and try to avoid “stereotypical alien” imagery.
Describe two specific adaptations that can be seen in the image, which allow your creature to thrive in its extraterrestrial environment.
Post your image, along with your description, to our course discussion board.

Take some time to explore the creations of your classmates. If you find ones you like, let your classmates know by acknowledging their creativity.