Admission requirements
None
Description
Welcome to "Astrobiology", an interdisciplinary course that explores the intriguing possibilities of life beyond Earth and our understanding on the origins, distribution, evolution, and future of life in the universe. Designed for students from diverse academic backgrounds, this course offers a comprehensive overview of Astrobiology, from the molecular to the planetary scale.
We start by examining the formation of our Solar System and discuss the processes that shaped Earth and other celestial bodies. Students will explore the early Earth's conditions, the Earth-Moon system and the environmental factors that have contributed to the origin of life. We will investigate key theories and evidence supporting various hypotheses for the emergence of life, including the development of the first protocells. We will also examine the role of small bodies in our Solar System like comets, asteroids, as well as meteorites in delivering essential raw materials for life including volatiles and organic compounds to the early planets.
As we broaden our scope beyond Earth, we discuss terrestrial planets with a focus on Mars, assessing its evolution and potential to support life. The course will explore the icy moons of the outer Solar System, including Europa and Enceladus, recognized as prime candidates for hosting subsurface oceans and possibly life. Our journey then extends to exoplanets, where students will learn about techniques used to discover and study planets beyond our Solar System and assess their potential habitability.
This module is complemented by an overview of significant Astrobiology space missions and their preparation through laboratory and field research. Ambitious new missions to many Solar System targets are currently on route and in preparation. Robotic and crewed missions are pivotal in advancing our understanding of life's potential across the universe. By the end of this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific, technological, and philosophical questions central to Astrobiology.
The course will include guest lecturers and cover the following topics:
An introduction into Astrobiology
Early Earth conditions, the origin of life and extreme life
Small bodies: Comets, Asteroids and Meteorites delivery of raw materials for life
The terrestrial planets: Venus and the search for life on Mars
Outer Solar System and habitable moons
Exoplanets
Space missions dedicated to Astrobiology questions and life detection
Main scientific challenges facing contemporary Astrobiology
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific and technological questions central to Astrobiology as well as Astrobiology space missions. Students will be able to:
Discuss the main scientific challenges facing contemporary Astrobiology
Summarize and compare contemporary theories of the origin of life
Explain the distribution of habitable environments in our Solar System and exoplanets
Discuss selected current and future space exploration missions
Interpret robotic and human exploration missions supporting Astrobiology goals
Explain the wider scientific, social, and economic impact(s) of Astrobiology research
Demonstrate methods and technological challenges for life detection
Soft skills
In this course, students will be trained in the following skills:
Critical thinking (asking questions, check assumptions)
Creative thinking (resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box)
Problem solving (recognizing and analyzing problems, solution-oriented thinking)
Teamwork (finding solution with a team of different academic backgrounds)
Written communication (writing skills, reporting, summarizing)
Presentation skills
Finding and reviewing relevant literature
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Tutorials
Assessment method
Tutorials & Homework assignments: 30%. During Tutorial Team Exercise student presence is mandatory
Written exam: 70%
Please note that exam questions of the written exam will cover all topics discussed in the Lectures, Werkcolleges and Homework assignments
Reading list
The Future of Life & NASA's Strategy for Astrobiology Research
Nathalie A. Cabrol (2024) The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life, by Scribner
Nature Astronomy articles on Astrobiology
Cleland, C.C. (2019). The quest for a universal theory of life: Searching for life as we don't know it. Cambridge University Press
Dick, S.J. (2020). Astrobiology, discovery, and societal Impact. Cambridge University Press
Rothery, D.A., Gilmour, I., & Sephton, M.A. (Eds.). (2011) An Introduction to astrobiology (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Pascale Ehrenfreund
Remarks
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.