Carolyn Porco
Carolyn Porco
Carolyn C. Porcois an American planetary scientist known for her work in the exploration of the outer solar system, beginning with her imaging work on the Voyager missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in the 1980s. She leads the imaging science team on the Cassini mission currently in orbit around Saturn. She is an expert on planetary rings and the Saturnian moon, Enceladus...
abundance dark expected models realized recent side surprised
Well, in some sense we should have expected, if the recent models are correct, to see them on the dark side where the photoelectron abundance is low. So, I was surprised to see them. But once they showed up, I realized we should have expected them there all along.
active
Enceladus is surprisingly warm, internally fractured and active ...
body conclusion evidence liquid radical realize small water within
We realize that this is a radical conclusion -- that we may have evidence for liquid water within a body so small and so cold.
environment liquid living looking potential radical realize solar system water
We realize that this is a radical conclusion. If we're right, we think we are looking at another environment in the solar system where we have liquid water and the potential for living organisms.
existence gun proves smoking
We have the smoking gun that proves the existence of water.
appreciate blown ring scientist
I don't think you have to be a ring scientist to appreciate this. I'm blown away.
alone mission
If we had done nothing else, these findings alone would have made the Cassini mission worthwhile.
ball hit
If we're right, we've just hit the ball right out of the park.
looking phenomena rings seen since
Since we hadn't ever seen the rings in this kind of detail, we were looking for phenomena we'd never seen before.
looking south
We're looking at some kind of focusing. We can't say why it would be at the south pole.
interested lookout phenomena since
We've been on the lookout for them since February, 2004. Spokes are one of those Saturn-system phenomena that we are keenly interested in understanding.
team data hands
While I was there, Voyager flew by Saturn. I got involved with a person who was a member of the imaging team and started working on data from Saturn, ... With all that data coming in, the imaging team didn't have enough hands or scientists to work on all of it.
moon world territory
We have at last glimpsed the surface of the fabled world, Titan, Saturn's largest moon and the greatest single expanse of unexplored territory remaining in the Solar System today,
understanding saturn spokes
Spokes are one of those Saturn-system phenomena that we are keenly interested in understanding.