Planetary Sciences/ Exobiology

Question

Proposal: Astronomy Space Exploration

These are two major areas in Space where both Space Exploration and Astronomy might claim significant overlap, and I think it's worth exploring in more detail. What do we do with Planetary Sciences?

Planetary Sciences is the science of other planets, comets, asteroids, moons, etc. What is Jupiter made out of? Is there life on Mars? Are there valuable minerals in Asteroids?

These questions fall outside of the traditional realm of Astronomy, but are more sciency than most of the proposed questions on Space Exploration. I think these types of questions belong on one of the two proposals, and if we can figure out now how to distinguish them, both sites will be better off during the private betas.

Answer 1

Starting with what I think are the most obvious points.

1. Anything relating to how equipment in space works belongs to Space Exploration.
2. Observations using telescopes, whether space based or ground based, belong to Astronomy, even if the object is in the solar system.
3. The physics of interaction between two or more objects in the solar system belongs to Astronomy.
4. The exploitation of physics by spacecraft belongs to Space Exploration.

Then comes the point where the line is a bit fuzzier. Let's see what kinds of questions in that grey region came up in the two proposal phases.

Astronomy

• Is the Moon gradually moving away from the Earth?
• How could James Webb Space telescope (to be launched in 2018) "stay" in an elliptical orbit around Lagrange point L2 which is declared as "unstable"?
• Does the planet Jupiter have a surface?
• What type of telescope (indeed is it possible) to buy an ammeter telescope that would enable me to see any of the moon landing sites?

Space Exploration

• What science are the Voyager missions still doing after so many years away from the Solar System?
• Has any country stated its official position on how it would respond to a discovery of intelligent extra terrestrial life?
• What advantages are there in sending a telescope to deep space instead of closer to Earth?

Given that, the divide is made somewhat clearer.

Astronomy

• General planetary conditions
• Physics between planets

Space Exploration

• Exobiology
• Mission specific science results

Overlap

• Physics of space telescopes.

And for my personal interpretation to sum it up, and include some new stuff

Astronomy

• Physics of naturally occurring objects.
• Any questions relating to telescopes, Earth or Ground based
• Large scale science for planets

Space Exploration

• Exobiology
• Small scale planetary science
• Operations, design, etc of Space Telescopes
• Specific space mission science.