Carolyn Porco
Planetary Scientist
“…When I’m old and looking back on my life, I will feel that I did the coolest thing anyone could ever possibly do with their life.”
Career Highlights
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Director of the Imaging Lab at the Space Science Institute and Leading Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley
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Participated in many historic missions as an imaging specialist with NASA, including the Voyager in the 1980s, Cassini’s present orbit around Saturn and the New Horizons spacecraft mission to Pluto
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Plays a special role in bringing space exploration to the wider public via social media, scientific papers, popular science articles, television programs and news networks
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Her first memorable moment in science as a child was exploring the limitless sky through her friend’s telescope
STEM Gems Club
Is a career in Planetary Science in your future? Are you fascinated with life beyond Earth? STEM Gem Carolyn Porco admits to being space-obsessed and, as a girl, loved to view planets via her friend’s telescope. Read her story and digest. Watch one of her online videos. Then, with your STEM Gems Tribe, discuss, explore, reflect, and act.