Is our planet the only place in the Universe with life? Or is it everywhere in the Universe, just waiting to be found? This six-week course is designed to explore these possibilities, designed for beginners and taught by a tutor from the Royal Observatory Greenwich. 

While this course may be studied independently without prior knowledge, it is a possible follow-on for those who have attended our onsite Introduction to Astronomy course or our Introduction to Astronomy Online.

This course outlines the ongoing studies concerning life in the Universe and an introduction to astrobiology. Students will learn about what it is that makes Earth suitable for life, uncover the difficulties astronomers encounter when looking for those conditions elsewhere in the Universe, and take a brief look into our search for intelligent life using the most advanced instruments we have at our disposal, including the James Webb Space Telescope.

The course will cover the following:

• Knowing Ourselves - separating fact from fiction in a world looking for alien life
• The Universe - exploring the structure of the Universe life resides in
• Life - a summary of what we already know about the only example of life we currently have - that found on Earth
• Worlds Beyond - looking for signatures of life on other worlds in our Solar System and beyond
• Suitability - a checklist of which worlds might be suitable for life throughout the Universe
• The Future - the chances of finding intelligent life in the Universe
   

This course will run twice in the 2023/24 academic year on Monday evenings:

• 30th October - 4th December 2023
• 19th February - 25th March 2024
   

The course is ideal for students who are not within commutable distance of London or cannot travel to Greenwich. 

Note: This course will be run online via a Zoom webinar session.

Everyone taking a course at the Royal Observatory is entitled to a 10% discount on books purchased from Royal Museums Greenwich - please check with your course tutor for more details!

Age: 16+