You are cordially invited to the Sigma Xi Colloquium presentation Astrobiology: Life, the Universe and Everything*

*With apologies to Douglas Adams and other hitchhikers

Dr. Nicolle Zellner Professor of Physics, Albion College, MI Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer 6:45pm - 7:45pm, February 13 (Thursday) Graham Copeland Auditorium, Grimsley Hall 117

. Abstract As of early 2020, there are over 4100 planets confirmed to be orbiting stars outside of our solar system. A few dozen of them are located in the habitable zone of their parent star, where the temperature for liquid water, one of the essential ingredients for life as we know it, is "just right". In this talk, I will describe planets and moons in our own solar system that may be capable of supporting life and NASA's plan to explore those objects in situ in the very near future. I will also describe a few of the observed "exo"-planets far beyond Earth and what we are learning about planetary formation in general, as a result of these observations. Finally, I will describe ways in which we can estimate the likelihood of life beyond Earth. Biography: Dr. Zellner’s research involves understanding the impact history of the Earth-Moon system. She studies the geochemical and chronological information obtained from lunar impact glasses in order to understand how many impact events the lunar surface has suffered. This information can then be applied to understanding the conditions required for life on Earth and how impact events may have affected its origin and evolution. Dr. Zellner is also interested in understanding how biomolecules are transferred among planetary bodies, such as via comet or asteroid impacts, and how their chemistry may change in an impact event. Dr. Zellner has been affiliated with the New York Center for Astrobiology, a NASA Astrobiology Institute, with research funding from the American Astronomical Society and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Her lunar research is currently supported by NASA and the NSF.