Tuesday 25 August 2026, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Wellington | In person only | Free registration
What can life beneath the Antarctic ice teach us about the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System?
Secondary-school teachers and students are invited to meet Professor John Priscu, one of the world’s leading Antarctic scientists and astrobiologists.
Drawing on expeditions that drilled through more than a kilometre of Antarctic ice, Professor Priscu will reveal a hidden landscape of lakes, rivers and microbial ecosystems beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Students will discover how scientists reach and sample these environments without contaminating them, what life can survive without sunlight, and why Antarctica provides a powerful natural laboratory for considering life on Mars and the icy moons of the outer Solar System.
Professor Priscu will explain how his Antarctic research informs the search for life beneath the ice of Jupiter’s moon Europa. He will also share stories from Antarctic fieldwork, describe his pathway into astrobiology and introduce the many disciplines contributing to the field—including biology, chemistry, geology, physics, engineering and planetary science.
Teachers and students will have the opportunity to ask questions about Antarctic exploration, microbial life, Europa, scientific discovery and pathways into astrobiology-related study and careers.
Who can attend?
This free session is designed for Earth and Space Science teachers, other interested STEM teachers and Year 9–13 students.
Each teacher may bring up to six students. Students must attend as part of a teacher-led school group. Schools wishing to bring more than six students should register an additional accompanying teacher, subject to availability.
This is an in-person event and will not be available online. Places are limited.
Programme
10:00 am — Welcome and introduction
10:10 am — Professor John Priscu: Antarctica, Astrobiology and the Search for Life
11:20 am — Questions from teachers and students
11:50 am — Closing remarks
12:00 pm — Event concludes
Registration
Register your school group through Humanitix
Presented by the New Zealand Astrobiology Network as part of Professor John Priscu’s 2026 visit to Aotearoa New Zealand.
