Essential Information Type Courses Location Online Date and Times Mondays, 7-9pm | 6-week courses available from 30 Oct 2023 and 19 Feb 2024 Prices £96 Book now 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+ Meet the tutor: Greg Smye-Rumsby Greg has worked at the Royal Observatory for close to 20 years, continuing a lifelong passion for all aspects of astronomy. In that time he has created and tutored evening classes for adults in several areas of astronomy, including an Introduction to Astronomy, Amateur Astronomy for Beginners and Life in the Universe. Greg is one of the best, most enthusiastic and informative instructors I’ve ever had. Praise indeed. Course taker, autumn 2022 What’s On See all astronomy courses at the Royal Observatory. Courses | Astronomy courses Life in the Universe Are we alone in the Universe? Join this adult course for an introduction to astrobiology and an exploration of how astronomers search for alien life. Mondays, 7-9pm | 6-week courses available from 30 Oct 2023 and 19 Feb 2024 £96 Online Courses | Astronomy courses Introduction to Astrophotography Learn how to take images of the night sky in our online introductory astrophotography course Tuesdays, 7-9pm | 6-week courses available from 31 Oct 2023; 2 Jan and 20 Feb 2024 £96 Online Courses | Astronomy courses Foundation Astrophysics A series of ten-week courses on more advanced topics in astrophysics Tuesdays, 6.30-9pm | 10-week modules available from 12 Sept and 28 Nov 2023; 5 March 2024 £200 per module Royal Observatory Courses | Astronomy courses Intermediate Astronomy Acquire a rigorous scientific understanding of the universe with the Royal Observatory Greenwich Tuesdays, 6.30-9pm | 10-week modules available from 12 Sept and 28 Nov 2023; 5 Mar 2024 £205 per module Royal Observatory Courses | Astronomy courses Introduction to Astronomy Online Learn the basics of astronomy at the home of time and space in this online course Tuesdays, 7-9pm | 6-week courses available from 12 September 2023 and 16 April 2024 £96 Online