The Kaiser Spring Lectures 2025 - Astrochemistry

To attend the lecture, be sure to get your ticket here!

Each year, the Kaiser Spring Lectures take place at the Old Observatory in Leiden. The lectures are aimed at the general public. This year the theme of the lectures is "Cosmic Connections: Bridging the Sciences of the Universe".

The fourth lecture in the series is titled "Astrochemistry".
Chemistry is fundamental to our understanding of astrophysics. Molecules – from simple hydrogen to complex organic compounds – are essential to the formation of stars and their planets all the way to their deaths. Since the first detection of interstellar molecules only 90 years ago, astrochemistry has blossomed into a rich and active field, connecting astronomical observations, laboratory experiments, and theoretical modelling. In this lecture, Dr. Marie van de Sande from Leiden Observatory will talk about how molecules and chemical processes shape the physics of stellar evolution and might hold the answer to the origins of life.