For the third time, a teachers’ training for exoplanets and life outside Earth was held at the DLR institute for planetary research, in conjunction with DLR_School_Lab and our SPP 1992 “Exoplanet Diversity”. Despite the hot weather, 19 teachers gathered in Berlin-Adlershof to learn about recent development in the world of exoplanets. Among them were some, that were already experienced from our previous events.
In the first talk, Ruth Titz-Weider presented the basics of exoplanet detection, new discoveries, and the big upcoming exoplanet mission at the institute, PLATO. The second presentation by Lee Grenfell was centered around the subject of habitability and biosignatures. The third part of the event was a visit of DLR_School_Lab, where in small groups the participants performed experiments about meteorites, astrobiology, remote sensing and zero-gravity in the same way that normally school students would.
The goal of presenting the exciting subjects of our research in a competent and vivid way to find links to the teachers’ own lessons was reached, as evidenced by the many questions and the engaged discussion. Maybe, among the pupils who learn about our missions from these enthusiastic teachers, is a future scientist or engineer!