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Michelle Nichols, M.Ed.

I'm an author and speaker with more than 30 years of experience working at planetariums in the field of astronomy education. Read on for more information about me and the programs I offer.

Purchase copies of my book on eBay!

Astronomy Lab for Kids: 52 Family-Friendly Activities

MY BIO

Michelle Nichols is Director of Public Observing at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, IL, and has worked at the Adler since June 1995. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University. Ms. Nichols leads all of the Adler Planetarium's telescope, observatory, and public sky observing initiatives and events. Before landing at the Adler Planetarium, Michelle worked at U.S. Space Camp (Titusville, FL), the Astronaut Memorial Planetarium (Cocoa, FL), and the Staerkel Planetarium (Champaign, IL).

Since 1999, Michelle has been a popular local speaker, giving hundreds of presentations to more than 130 public libraries, community organizations, and senior living facilities in the Chicago suburbs, Indiana, and Alabama.

 

Ms. Nichols has also served as an advisor for several children’s books: Superfast Rockets, Space: Surviving in Zero-G, Ellen Ochoa: Reach for the Stars, and The Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion, as well as the Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers series: The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, The Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto: Dwarf Planet, and Comets. Astronomy Lab for Kids (2016) is Michelle's first book as author.

Image credit: Michelle Nichols

MY UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS

Jan 7 - 7:00 pm - private program

Jan 14 - 7:00 pm - Artemis: Returning to the Moon - Barrington Area Library

Jan 21 - 7:00 pm - Hubble Space Telescope - Elmhurst Public Library​

Jan 23 - 7:00 pm - private program

Jan 27 - 7:00 pm - Icy Worlds - Geneva Public Library

Feb 4 - 7:00 pm - Artemis: Returning to the Moon - Ela Area Public Library

Feb 11 - 7:00 pm - private program

Feb 20 - 7:00 pm - Searching for Earth Elsewhere - Joliet Public Library, Black Road Location

Mar 18 - 7:00 pm - Women in Space Exploration - Plainfield Area Public Library

Mar 31 - 7:00 pm - Women in Space Exploration - Elk Grove Village Public Library

Apr 8 - 7:00 pm - Artemis: Returning to the Moon - Naperville Public Library

Apr 21 - 7:00 pm - Armchair Tour of the Solar System - White Oak Library, Crest Hill

Apr 29 - 7:00 pm - Constellations - Arlington Heights Memorial Library

May 5 - 7:00 pm - Constellations - Elmhurst Public Library

May 6 - 7:30 pm - speaker for Naperville Astronomical Association meeting

(no programs May 23 to September 28, 2025)

Oct 6 - 7:00 pm - Skywatching With Your Eyes - Naperville Public Library

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Please confirm program dates/times, registration requirements, and/or registration residency restrictions with individual program hosts, as well as as whether program is in-person, online-only, or a hybrid format. All hosts listed above are located in Illinois, unless otherwise stated.

2025

Bio
Upcoming Events
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Presentations

How to Book a Presentation

Do you need to be an astronomer to enjoy my programs? Absolutely not! My goal for all of my presentations and programs is help inspire anyone to want to learn more about our Universe, and to transmit my passion and excitement about astronomy and space exploration to my audiences. The PDF at the end of this section is a list of my current presentations, plus new programs that will be available in the near future.
 
After you have reviewed my available & unavailable dates, please contact me at the email address listed at the end of this homepage and let me know 1) if you have a date or date range in mind, 2) the program you would like to book or if you need a suggestion, and 3) your institution + whether I will be presenting from your location, if the program is virtual (online-only), or if you would like a prerecorded program. Fees for each type of program are listed below.
Note: I am currently accepting requests for dates on/after January 13, 2025.
 
When I am unavailable:
  • Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends
  • Dates listed above in My Upcoming Presentations
  • February 21, 2025-March 31, 2025 (due to dates already booked and work conflicts)
  • April 3, 2025 (due to work conflict)
  • May 23, 2025-September 28, 2025
Presentations online or in-person: All my programs are available to be presented in-person or online, and my programs generally last one hour (slightly longer with additional Q&A). I have extensive experience using Zoom Meeting/Webinar, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The host organization is required to provide the online videoconferencing account to use for the program. As a format alternative, I can prerecord a video of a presentation* (without a participating audience) to provide to you to post to your website or YouTube account for a mutually agreeable time period (usually for 30 days, though longer times are possible, depending on the program; please inquire). *Recordings of The Science of Climate Change will not be allowed.
Fees:
  • Base rate: $175
  • Travel cost: minimum $25. Will vary by distance/time needed for travel. Please inquire and I will calculate the exact travel cost amount for you.
  • For in-person, hybrid, or online-only programs where I am presenting from the brick-and-mortar host location, my total fee is base rate + travel cost. 
  • For prerecorded, hybrid, or online-only programs where I am presenting the program from home and no travel is needed, my total fee is base rate only.
  • The speaking fee and travel cost listed above are only for my one-hour programs as listed in my presentation roster and for host locations within 70 miles of Aurora, IL. For programs requiring longer-distance travel and/or for one-off specially-requested program topics or unique program formats not listed here, a higher fee and/or additional travel cost will apply. Please inquire.
Audio-visual and setup needs: My presentations utilize PowerPoint. For in-person programs, I can bring my PC laptop, or if you would like me to use yours, I can bring my presentation on a flash drive. Just let me know what you prefer. My presentations require only a projector, a screen, and a table or podium to set up my computer. I am comfortable using a microphone if your room setup requires use of one.
Age recommendations: All my programs are geared toward adults. If children wish to attend, it is at the discretion of their parents or guardians, though a general recommendation is that programs would be appropriate for children ages 10 and up. I do not offer programs specifically for children as the primary audience.
Need some program suggestions?
  • See below for my current list of available programs.
  • Are you hosting me for the first time? Try Armchair Tour of the Solar System, NASA's Next Great Telescope, Roving the Red Planet, or Skywatching With Your Eyes. These programs consistently bring in the largest audiences.
  • March is Women's History Month. Try Women in Astronomy or Women in Space Exploration.
  • The Webb Space Telescope is providing stunning images and amazing science results. Try NASA's Next Great Telescope. (Note: I update this program with new information every time I present it.)
  • Does your institution have a telescope for patrons to check out? Try Skywatching with a Telescope and I'll present information about how it works and what you can see with it.
  • There is always something interesting to see in the night sky. Try Skywatching With Your Eyes.
  • NASA will launch Artemis 2, a mission to fly four astronauts around the Moon, tentatively in September 2025. Try Artemis: Returning to the Moon.
  • The next total lunar eclipse will be on March 13, 2025. Try Skywatching With Your Eyes.

CONTACT ME

For questions regarding speaking engagement appearances and fees, or if you would like to purchase my book in bulk, please contact me:

astroeducator {at} aol {dot} com

Contact
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