Please join us at the Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability to listen to Professor Jane Greaves talk about planets, exoplanets, and life.

How to Attend

The seminar will be hosted both in-person and online - see details below for how to connect.

In-person - Social Sciences S0.20 at 3pm.

Online - via Microsoft Teams accessible hereLink opens in a new window

Planets, exoplanets, and life

So what was all that furore about phosphine? I will report on new observations of phosphine in Venus' clouds, and place these in the context of possible sources, such as active volcanoes or even extant life. New techniques are being developed for agnostic biosignatures, and new models are emerging for biosignature gases in different planetary environments. I will discuss the crossover of these advances for exoplanetary science and some of the lessons learned from solar system life searches. Finally, I will introduce some ongoing observing campaigns that can help to assess habitability of rocky exoplanets.

When?

Friday 16th June - 15:00 BST

Where?

Social Sciences S0.20

Who?

Everyone is Welcome!

Professor Jane Greaves

Professor Jane Greaves is a Professor of Astronomy at Cardiff University, where she investigates planets forming around young stars, especially through leadership of the Planet-Earth Building-Blocks Legacy eMERLIN Survey (PEBBLeS). She also researches connections to the Solar system, particularly observing the dwarf planet Pluto and icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn that may harbour life. Professor Greaves has a background in observing 'debris' from comet collisions around stars like the Sun, being was the first to image such a debris belt around any Sun-like star, and in interpretation of these data in terms of impact that could harm or help life on planets. She is the 2017 winner of the Institute of Physics Fred Hoyle Medal.

Outside of her research she uses textile art for exploring and engaging in astrophysics, and has worked extensively for fairness to women in academic science.