Presented by

Associate Professor Laurence Wakelin

BSc.(Hons) 1st Class Chemistry, University of Kent, UK, 1971.

PhD Pharmacology, Clare College, University of Cambridge, UK, 1975

Astrochemistry is the study of the chemical elements and molecules found in space, focusing on their formation, interaction, and destruction. It brings together astronomy and chemistry, to investigate the abundance and reactions of atoms and molecules in interstellar and circumstellar space, particularly in star- and planet-forming regions. These chemical elements and molecules contribute to the dust and clouds that form planets, and include organic compounds that are precursors to life.

In my first talk of a series I will introduce the concept of astrochemistry, and take us from the cosmology of the Big Bang to the stellar formation of the 92 elements of the Periodic Table.