Kaiser Spring Lectures
The Kaiser Spring Lectures is a series of lectures organized by Kaiser during the Spring. The lectures have been very successful since they were first organised in 2014. In this series of lectures we invite astronomers who will tell us all about their research.
One in a Million? Looking for a second Earth
“Are we alone in the universe? When looking up into the night sky, do any of the stars have planets like Earth that could be home to life? Questions like these have fascinated humanity for centuries. In the 1990s, the first planets outside the Solar System were discovered. So called “exoplanets”. Currently, more than 6 thousand exoplanets are known. Studying how they form, how to detect them, and what conditions are expected on these distant worlds have become important aspects of modern astronomical research. Finding a second planet just like Earth remains an elusive goal. This year, the European Space Agency is planning to launch the PLATO mission – a space telescope designed to look for planets resembling our own. To celebrate the occasion, we have planned the Spring Lectures this year under the theme “One in a million? Looking for a second Earth”. Our goal is to showcase the current state of exoplanet science, explain what observational techniques are used, and highlight the importance of research endeavours like PLATO.“ Simon Petyniak, Chair of the Spring Lectures Committee 2026
Programme
Does planet formation produce “carbon copies” of Earth?
Dr. Melissa McClure – March 7th 2026 at 14:00
Shadows, Wobbles, and Hisses: How we find planets around other stars
Dr. Joe Callingham – March 14th 2026 at 14:00
ESA’s PLATO mission: A new window for the discovery of other worlds
Dr. Ana Heras – March 21st 2026 at 14:00
Ocean Worlds Beyond Earth: Could They Be Habitable?
Saphira Brandenberger – April 11th 2026 at 14:00
All pictures are credited to NASA/ESA
Exoplanets and the quest for extraterrestrial life
Prof. dr. Ignas Snellen – March 28th 2026 at 14:00
Support us!
We try to keep the Spring Lectures accesible to everyone by keeping the ticket prices as low as possible. If you wish to support us additionally, you can do so via the button below. We are very grateful!
DonateAmbassadors
“That Leiden is rightly City of Discoveries, is proven by the Kaiser Spring Lectures. A good reason to come to the beautiful Leiden Old Observatory.”
Drs. Henri J.J. Lenferink
Former Mayor of Leiden.
“Come hear these super interesting lectures! They are truly inspiring and accessible to anyone from any level.”
Prof. dr. ir. Hester Bijl
Rector Magnificus Leiden University
“Are you an adventurer? Come hear the Kaiser Spring Lectures, and hear the latest news about the James Webb Space Telescope and ELT!”
Prof. dr. Ewine van Dishoeck
Professor in Molecular Astrophysics
“The Kaiser Spring Lectures are a wonderful accesible way to learn more about the wonders of the universe.”
Prof. dr. Ignas Snellen
Scientific director, Professor in observational astrophysics
“Wonderful stories about today’s most exciting telescopes: how do they work and what will they discover?”
Prof. dr. Huub Röttgering
Professor in observational cosmology
“Spring: budding green, crocuses, easter, the Matthew Passion, and of course we can not forget the Kaiser Spring Lectures!”
Prof. dr. Frans van Lunteren
Professor in the history of science
About us
Spring Lectures Committee 2026
The Kaiser Spring Lectures is an initiative from Leiden University and the Astronomical Society ‘F. Kaiser’. This is a society for all astronomy students in Leiden, from first years to PhDs. L.A.D. ‘F. Kaiser’ is named after Frederik Kaiser, the first director and co-founder of the Old Observatory. The society organises many activities for students, from drinks and football tournaments to lectures and museum trips, which are all completely managed by students.
The Committee
Simon Petyniak
Praeses
Hi All! My name is Simon, I am the praeses of the spring lecture committees! My research interests include the search for life, exoplanets, and stellar magnetic activity. I am excited to bring to you a series of fascinating spring lectures! I am originally from Warsaw, Poland. I moved to the Netherlands to do a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics in Eindhoven. That’s when I realized my passion for work with astronomical data and simulations, which is how I ended up doing astronomy master’s in Leiden with the data science specialization. I’m currently in my first year of the program, and I enjoy it just as much as expected! In my free time I like to run, and cycle. I love the mountains, and those sports offer an excellent opportunity to build up the endurance needed to deal with vertical gains. My biggest passion in life is skiing, so feel free to talk to me about it whenever 🙂
Constance Latreille
Ab Actis, Vice Praeses & Assessor Promo
Hi everyone! My name is Constance and I am 22 years old. I am also the Vice-President, Secretary & Assessor Promo of the committee. I am really excited about this year’s spring lectures as their theme is a topic I am currently researching! Here is a little about myself : I am pursuing a master’s degree and recently moved to the Netherlands. Before that, I studied in Canada and I was born and raised in France. I am really happy about studying at Leiden University as I get to meet a lot of interesting people from different backgrounds and to experience living in another new country. I got involved in this committee because I enjoy working on projects as a team and especially seeing them come together from start to finish. It really is impressive to witness what teamwork can accomplish! In my spare time, I like to read, spend time at the beach and chill with friends. 🙂 I am looking forward to meeting you all!
David Gzib
Quaestor & Assessor IT
Hi! My name is David and I am the treasurer of the committee. This means that I am responsible for creating this year’s budget and making sure that we can deal with any unexpected changes. Additionally, I am also the assessor IT, so I am taking care of updating our website and managing the ticket sales. I joined this committee because I really enjoy organizing events and I think it’s great that we can show what we do as astronomers to the public. I am originally from Bratislava, Slovakia but studied in Groningen for 3 years so I also speak some Dutch now :). Currently, I am in the first year of the Astronomy master here in Leiden, pursuing the Cosmology specialization. I really enjoy the study as it combines general astronomy and cosmology with theoretical and particle physics – all of which are fields I could see myself doing research in. At the moment, I am working on a research project in computational cosmology. When I’m not studying or coding for my project, you can usually find me in the gym, exploring nature in the dunes or learning how to operate the telescopes in the Old Observatory where this event is hosted.
Lyra Vranken
Assessor Speakers
Hi! I’m Lyra, a third-year astronomy bachelor’s student. I’m from Brussels, Belgium, and I came to Leiden to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Astronomy, without needing to combine it with a Physics degree. I am fascinated by cosmology and by how tiny things, like incredibly small fluctuations, are responsible for the structure of our universe today. How cool is that? I joined this committee because I believe science should be accessible to everyone, so I’m excited to bring astronomy topics and research to the public with this lecture series. I am the assessor speakers, which basically means all contact with the speakers goes through me. In my free time, I play harp and clarinet, which is funny as my name means harp in ancient Greek. I also like to read and draw, and look through a telescope when the (Dutch) weather allows for it.
Eva Wagener
Assessor Logistics
Hi! I’m Eva, the assessor logistics for the Spring Lectures. I will make sure everything goes smoothly on the day of the lecture :). I’m from the Netherlands and moved to Leiden for my studies. I chose Leiden because it’s a beautiful city and because physics and astronomy are separate studies here (even though I do both). I’m currently in my second year of physics and astronomy and – obviously – I love the stars (if I had to choose, I’d always choose astronomy over physics). I love combining math and physics to study our beautiful universe. In my free time, I like reading, knitting, and ballroom dancing. I’m really excited for the lectures and I hope you are as well!