Extraterrestrial Life Courses and Certifications

Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

34 ratings

Learn about the origin and evolution of life and the search for life beyond the Earth.

• Coursera
• 5 weeks, 2 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

• Best of All Time

A New Approach To The Search For Extraterrestrial Life

Astrobiologist Sara Walker challenges our understanding of life and how we might search for life in the universe by looking for signatures of information-generating structures and applying systems-level analysis.

• World Science U
• Self-Paced
• Free Online Course

The Science of the Solar System

53 ratings

Apply physics, chemistry, biology and geology to current planetary exploration: water on Mars, giant planet interiors, small bodies, and the search for life beyond Earth.

• Coursera
• 10 weeks, 3 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Free Online Course

• Best of All Time

From Chemistry to Life

7 ratings

To look for evidence of life on other planets, we have to adapt what we know about chemistry on Earth to aid our search. Astronomer Dimitar Sasselov explains how we can use what we already know to search for alien life in this Master Class.

• World Science U
• Self-Paced
• Free Certificate

Icy bodies: Europa and elsewhere

1 rating at OpenLearn

The new discipline of astrobiology that is, the science of searching for extraterrestrial life, is not only rapdly growing, but has also captured the public imagination. This free course, Icy ...

• OpenLearn
• 17 hours
• Self-Paced
• Free Certificate

The Royal Institution

The Ethics of Space Settlement

Explore ethical challenges of space settlement, from environmental protection to criminal justice, with astrophysicist Erika Nesvold. Gain insights on crucial considerations for humanity's multi-planetary future.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Royal Institution

Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Explore astrobiology findings and their implications for discovering intelligent life in the universe. Delve into the Drake equation, potential alien civilizations, and the challenges of interstellar detection.

• YouTube
• 36 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Emergence of Life

107 ratings at Coursera

Trace 4 billion years of life through the modern Tree of Life: early Earth environments, fossilization, the Cambrian explosion, mass extinctions, and the search for extraterrestrial life.

• Coursera
• 9 weeks, 5 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

American Museum of Natural History

The Solar System

Explore how the Solar System formed and works: the Sun's fusion and solar wind, planetary surfaces and atmospheres, Pluto's status, and the search for extraterrestrial life.

• Coursera
• 6 weeks, 3 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

The Royal Institution

Why Have We Not Found Any Aliens? - With Keith Cooper

A look at how SETI searches for extraterrestrial intelligence, from radio signals and technosignatures to the assumptions behind six decades without a discovery.

• YouTube
• 52 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Royal Institution

To the Stars and Beyond - Exploring Exoplanets and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life - Lecture 3

Explore the universe beyond our solar system with Maggie Aderin-Pocock, discovering exoplanets, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the search for extraterrestrial life in this final lecture.

• YouTube
• 59 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

An introduction to exoplanets

21 ratings at OpenLearn

This free course, An introduction to exoplanets, introduces our galaxy's population of planets, and some of their many surprises. It explains the methods used by astronomers to study exoplanets, ...

• OpenLearn
• 24 hours
• Self-Paced
• Free Certificate

The Royal Institution

Planets Beyond Our Sun - Exploring Extraterrestrial Solar Systems

Explore the possibility of planets beyond our solar system and the potential for extraterrestrial life in this thought-provoking lecture by renowned astronomer Carl Sagan.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Royal Institution

Is There Life on Mars? - Carl Sagan's 1977 Christmas Lectures - Lecture 5

Carl Sagan explores Viking mission's findings on Mars, discussing soil analysis, microbiology experiments, and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life in this engaging 1977 Christmas Lecture.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Royal Institution

Mars before Viking - Lecture 4

Explore Mars through Mariner 9's groundbreaking discoveries, revealing unexpected features like craters, volcanoes, and valleys. Sagan discusses climate change evidence and potential for past life on the Red Planet.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video