Community invited Oct. 22

Jackson College invites the community to an evening of exploration and discovery with astronomy guest speaker Dr. Nicolle Zellner, planetary scientist and award-winning public communicator, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.

Dr. Zellner will present about the impacts in the solar system and what effects impactors might have had on life on Earth, at 6 p.m. in James McDivitt Hall, Room 216. Following her talk, the evening will include a Q&A session and—weather permitting—night sky observations at the College’s Astronomical Observatory.

The evening’s schedule is as follows:

• Presentation: 6 – 7 p.m.
• Q&A: 7 – 7:30 p.m.
• Viewing at the Observatory: 7:30 – 11 p.m. (Check for weather status here).

Dr. Zellner is a distinguished planetary scientist whose research focuses on the evolution of the moon. She is widely recognized for her ability to share complex science with the public and has received the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science.

Her career includes work with the Pine Bluff Observatory, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She currently serves at Albion College, where she holds the Herbert and Grace Dow Endowed Professorship in the Sciences.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Zellner to Jackson College,” said Travis Marlow, Astronomical Observatory coordinator. “We encourage that you do not miss this one-of-a-kind presenter.”

This event is free and open to the public.

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