ASP1022 Life in the universe: Astrobiology
Faculty of Science
ASP1022 Life in the universe: Astrobiology is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 40%
- and 1 other task
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ASP1022
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ASP1022
No unit lists ASP1022 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
No formal background in astronomy or astrophysics is required.
Overview
This unit focuses on understanding astronomical, geological, chemical, biological and technological conditions necessary for primitive and intelligent life. The topics covered include: stellar and planetary formation, dynamics of planetary orbits, detection and properties of extrasolar planets, habitability, chemical and biological characteristics of life, how life first appeared on the Earth and how life depends on energy from the stars, probabilities of life forming on other planets, artificial life and artificial intelligence, interstellar travel and colonisation, the fate of the Universe and the implications for any life present.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- In-semester activitiesQuiz / Test60%
- Final assessment - Exam (2 hours and 10 minutes)Examination40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Explain modern theories of stellar and planetary formation and evolution
- 2
Compare properties of our Solar system to that of extrasolar planetary systems
- 3
Describe the necessary conditions for life and how species evolve
- 4
Debate how development of life is dependent on the conditions in the physical universe
- 5
Theorise on the possibilities of other life forms, interstellar communication and interstellar travel.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories24 hours
- Seminars24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
The workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours spread across the semester (roughly 12 hours per week) – approximately an even mixture of online and in person participation in scheduled activities (including seminars and laboratories) and self-scheduled study time (supported by readings, videos and Moodle quizzes).
For this unit, we are implementing a learner-oriented approach, where our responsibility is to find the ways to help our students to learn the material in an efficient way, and students’ responsibility is to actively engage in their own learning process.
Our main goals for this unit are for you, our students, to understand the nature of science through the eyes of astrobiology, understand the big ideas in the field and develop a lifelong interest in scientific explorations.
We have designed a careful sequence of online learning material, enriched with interactive applets, quizzes, and videos, that are followed by asynchronous online learning tasks to meet these goals.
The assessment is structured to help you monitor your learning and to help us support you where needed. All the online material is available on Moodle and seminars are delivered online with laboratories in person. Practical activities include a mix of guided inquiry-based activities and hands-on activities that can be completed on your own, to help you explore some of the concepts in more depth.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
We provide digital lecture notes for this unit. Having a basic (ie, non-programable) scientific calculator is also highly recommended.
Astrobiology encompasses wide range of topics in science. We comprised a list of interesting resources (videos, digital text, etc) covering various topics of the unit available on Moodle.
Where it fits
ASP1022 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Daniel Price
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Daniel Price
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ASP1022?
ASP1022 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ASP1022 offered?
In 2026, ASP1022 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
Does ASP1022 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.
Which majors and minors include ASP1022?
ASP1022 is part of Astrophysics.