The science of reading alien atmospheres with Jonathan Tennyson | The Royal Institution
We now know that almost every star in the galaxy hosts a planetary system —
over 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed so far, and counting. But knowing
they exist is just the beginning. What are these worlds actually made of?
Could any of them support life?
This lecture was filmed on 27 February 2026.
In this Royal Institution Discourse, Professor Jonathan Tennyson, Massey
Professor of Physics at UCL and Fellow of the Royal Society, explores how
cutting-edge advances in spectroscopy are transforming our understanding of
exoplanet composition.
Jonathan examines two of the biggest challenges facing researchers today:
the extreme temperatures on some exoplanets that produce extraordinarily
complex spectral signatures, and the fact that for most exoplanets, we
can't even see them directly. He reveals the techniques scientists use to
overcome these obstacles, combining spectral observation with quantum
mechanical methods to decode the chemical fingerprints of distant worlds.
This lecture was recorded at the Royal Institution in London as part of
the prestigious Friday Evening Discourse series, one of the oldest science
lecture series in the world, dating back to 1825. It was delivered in
celebration of UCL200.
Join this channel to get access to Member perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for more world-class science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
#exoplanets, #spectroscopy, #astrophysics, #spacescience, #JonathanTennyson, #UCL, #Royal Institution, #astronomy, #exoplanets #atmosphere ,
#planetcomposition, #jameswebbspacetelescope #alienplanets, #quantummechanics, #sciencelecture2026
over 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed so far, and counting. But knowing
they exist is just the beginning. What are these worlds actually made of?
Could any of them support life?
This lecture was filmed on 27 February 2026.
In this Royal Institution Discourse, Professor Jonathan Tennyson, Massey
Professor of Physics at UCL and Fellow of the Royal Society, explores how
cutting-edge advances in spectroscopy are transforming our understanding of
exoplanet composition.
Jonathan examines two of the biggest challenges facing researchers today:
the extreme temperatures on some exoplanets that produce extraordinarily
complex spectral signatures, and the fact that for most exoplanets, we
can't even see them directly. He reveals the techniques scientists use to
overcome these obstacles, combining spectral observation with quantum
mechanical methods to decode the chemical fingerprints of distant worlds.
This lecture was recorded at the Royal Institution in London as part of
the prestigious Friday Evening Discourse series, one of the oldest science
lecture series in the world, dating back to 1825. It was delivered in
celebration of UCL200.
Join this channel to get access to Member perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for more world-class science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
#exoplanets, #spectroscopy, #astrophysics, #spacescience, #JonathanTennyson, #UCL, #Royal Institution, #astronomy, #exoplanets #atmosphere ,
#planetcomposition, #jameswebbspacetelescope #alienplanets, #quantummechanics, #sciencelecture2026
The Royal Institution
Videos to make you think more deeply about science. Explosive short films, full length talks from the world’s leading scientists and writers, and videos to challenge the way you look at the world.
The Royal Institution is a 200 year old independent chari...