Planets play Ping Pong too

Astronomy projects may not be the most exciting but they can occasionally throw up some surprisingly fun facts. In a two star system planets can end up being tossed from one star to the other  a number of times before they finally get ejected out of the system.

This interplanetary game of ping pong can result in very disruptive orbits that interfere with other planet orbits as well. Such two star systems are thus usually not too stable an environment for life to be sustained in them.

After all the existence of life depends on evolution and with the temperature, gravity and atmospheric pressure changing as often as they do on such planets it is hardly a wonder that life as we know it would not exist in such conditions.

That should not lead to disappointment for those of you hoping to meet ET in your lifetime. There are still a number of viable planets in the universe where carbon life forms similar to ours could have evolved. The question now is how and when are we going to establish contact.

Hunting for the alien life forms is an ongoing science project with professionals and amateurs just as easily involved in the act. Who knows the next big spaceship from outer space could be spotted by a kid out in the yard doing an astronomy project!