Admission requirements
None
Description
Welcome to Astrobiology: Are We Alone?
What if life exists beyond Earth—and how would we recognize it if it did?
This interdisciplinary course invites you to explore one of the most profound questions in science: the origin, evolution, and future of life in the universe. Drawing from astronomy, biology, chemistry, and planetary science, Astrobiology takes you on a journey from small molecules to distant worlds, revealing how life emerges and where it might exist beyond our planet.
We begin close to home—unpacking the formation of our Solar System and the dynamic processes that shaped Earth into a habitable world. You’ll investigate the early Earth environment, the role of the Earth–Moon system, and the conditions that may have sparked the transition from chemistry to biology. Through case studies and current research, you’ll evaluate competing hypotheses for the origin of life, including how the first protocells may have formed—and whether key ingredients were delivered by comets, asteroids, and meteorites.
From there, we venture outward. Could Mars have once hosted life? What secrets lie beneath the icy crusts of moons like Europa and Enceladus? You’ll analyze real missions and assess the habitability of intriguing Solar System environments, from Venus to the outer Solar System. Expanding even further, you’ll explore the rapidly growing field of exoplanets—learning how scientists detect distant worlds and evaluate their potential to support life.
The course is grounded in space exploration. You’ll examine past, current, and upcoming space missions, and discover how laboratory experiments and fieldwork on Earth prepare us to search for life elsewhere. From robotic explorers to future human missions, you’ll see how technology is pushing the boundaries of discovery.
By the end of the course, you won’t just understand astrobiology—you’ll think like an astrobiologist. You will be able to engage with cutting-edge scientific questions and reflect on their broader philosophical implications: What is life? Where can it exist? And what does it mean for humanity if we are not alone?
The course will include guest lecturers, e.g. from the European Space Agency 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 be able to think and reason like an astrobiologist:
Discuss the big unanswered questions driving modern astrobiology
Critically evaluate and compare leading theories on how life first emerged
Map and assess where life could exist, from Mars and icy moons to distant exoplanets
Debate current and upcoming space missions, understanding how they search for signs of life
Interpret robotic and human exploration missions supporting astrobiology goals
Analyze the broader impact of astrobiology, including its scientific breakthroughs and societal, economic, and philosophical implications
Schedule
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.
Teaching method
Lectures and guest lecturers
Self-study
(Group)presentations
Debate
Assesment method
Tutorial/Homework assignments: 30%. During Tuturials (Group 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, Tutorials and Homework assignments
Resit, review & feedback
The retake exam will be either written or oral, depending on the number of participants. During oral exams students may also be asked to solve problems on paper.
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
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.