Discourse: Discovering what exoplanets are made from (Theatre)

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We now know that essentially every star in the galaxy supports a planetary system – so far, over 6000 exoplanets have been positively identified and grouped in 4600 planetary systems, and this number continues to grow.

The investigation of exoplanets has focused on their composition, formation, and habitability. These questions are best answered by monitoring light emissions from the planet and capturing these data from spectroscopy. In the second Discourse of 2026, astrophysicist Jonathan Tennyson will join us to explore how advancements in spectroscopy are transforming our understanding of exoplanets.

Jonathan will examine the two main issues currently facing researchers observing exoplanets: for some exoplanets, their temperatures far exceed those on Earth and produce much richer and more complex spectra. And for the majority, we cannot directly see them at all. Discover the techniques being used to address these issues and obtain the spectral signatures of planets, combined with quantum mechanical methods.

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Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by JJ Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the cutting-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.

Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!). Some of our guests dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion.

Discourses are free for Ri Members and Patrons - consider joining today.

Find out more about the history of Discourses on our blog.

The doors will open at approximately 6.45pm, and all ticket holders must take their seats by 7.20pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm. There will be a brief question/answer period after the talk.

Latecomers will be admitted to the gallery.

Event image by European Space Agency, ESA–C. Carreau