For thousands of years people have wondered if there are planets like Earth, if they’re common, and if any have signs of life. Today astronomers are poised to answer these ancient questions, having recently found thousands of planets that orbit nearby sun-like stars, called exoplanets. Thousands of them are known to orbit nearby stars, and small rocky planets are established to be common.

The ambitious goal of identifying a habitable or inhabited world is within reach. The race to find habitable exoplanets has accelerated with the realization that “big Earths” transiting small stars can be both discovered and characterized with current technology. The successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled to launch later this year, has a chance to be the first to provide evidence of the biosignature gases that indicate life. But that step is the beginning of a long journey. What more will it take to identify habitable worlds with the telescopes available to us—and those of the future?

Sara Seager, a professor of physics and planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is one of the leading experts on the search for Earth-like planets, shares the latest advances in this revolutionary field.

Following the talk, Peter Plavchan, a professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University, brings the skies into your living room with remote control of the GMU Observatory. Weather permitting, enjoy a remote tour of the observatory after the program.

Upcoming GMU Observatory programs

Wed., Sept 22: NASA's Next Great Observatory

Patron Information

• If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
• Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
• Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
• Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
• View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.