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Michelle Thaller

Michelle Thaller is an astrophysicist and former NASA science communicator who shares the stories of stars, space and our connection to the universe through videos, podcasts and public talks.

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Michelle’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus her backstory and Starbook, where fans write.

Known for

Overview

From: Waukesha, Wisconsin
Work: Astrophysicist, science communicator and podcast host
Education: Astrophysics at Harvard University and a PhD at Georgia State University
Research roots: Binary star systems and the lives of massive stars
Public work: NASA outreach, television, TEDx, Big Think and Orbital Path

Mini bio

How it started.

Growing up in Waukesha, Michelle was drawn to the night sky from childhood. Carl Sagan was an early inspiration. She studied astrophysics at Harvard and Georgia State, building a research career around binary stars.

Finding her voice.

Her work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory included public outreach for the Spitzer Space Telescope. She went on to science communication leadership at Goddard and NASA Headquarters. Television appearances, TEDx talks, Big Think videos and the PRX podcast Orbital Path brought her way of explaining astronomy to audiences beyond the research world.

The human side of the cosmos.

Michelle often connects the science of stars with questions about being human. After her husband and fellow astrophysicist Andrew Booth died in 2020, she spoke publicly about grief and the comfort she finds in exploring our connection to the universe. Since retiring from NASA in 2024, she has continued sharing science through interviews and public talks.

Creditschronological, newest first

Video and talks

2026Modern physics is forcing us to rethink existenceFeatured interviewee, Big Think
2016We Are Dead StarsSpeaker, TEDxBaltimore

Podcasts

2015–2018Orbital PathHost, PRX

Awards

Quotes

Curiosity is always stronger than fear.Michelle Thaller, NASA People interview

Her six-word memoir in a February 2020 interview about her life and approach to science.

Trivia

She spent more than a decade performing with the Queen’s Court at the Los Angeles Renaissance fair.
She paints watercolours, especially flowers and landscapes, and collects antique Japanese dolls.
She has helped a family’s commercial fishing operation in Alaska, including piloting their boat.