ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Carolyn Porco - Planetary scientist
As the leader of the Imaging Team on the Cassini mission to Saturn, Carolyn Porco interprets and shares the pictures coming back from this fascinating planet, its rings and its moons.

Why you should listen

Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco studies and interprets the photos from NASA space missions like the renowned Voyager mission to the outer solar system in the 1980s and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn. She leads a team of scientists from the US and Europe that has been analyzing the images Cassini has sent back since it left Earth in 1997. At Saturn, they have found new phenomena everywhere they've turned their cameras … in the planet’s atmosphere, within its rings and on the surfaces of its many moons. And they've produced spectacular images and animations of these marvels in the process.

Back in the early-1980s, while still working on her doctorate, Porco was drafted onto the Voyager imaging team to assist in crunching the mountains of data coming back from Voyager’s fly-by of Saturn. Her work on the planet's rings and their relation to its moons cemented her connection with Saturn. After Voyager had flown by Neptune and was nearing conclusion, she worked together with Carl Sagan in planning Voyager’s celebrated Pale Blue Dot picture of Earth.

Her ongoing work at the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPs) has two goals: to process, interpret and archive Cassini’s images for other scientists, and to make sure the images -- in all their breathtaking poetry and mystery and sheer Save-Image-As-Desktop awesomeness -- connect with the general public. She is an advocate for the exploration and understanding of planetary space, and her frequent talks (as well as her "Captain's Log" memos on the CICLOPS website) speak to everyone, scientist and nonscientist alike. Her advocacy extends to Hollywood, where she was the character consultant on the 1997 movie “Contact,” and a consultant on the 2009 Paramount Pictures re-boot of “Star Trek.” In 2012, she was named one the 25 most influential people in space by TIME magazine.

Finally, in a twist on the Pale Blue Dot theme, it was she who conceived the idea to invite the people of the world to smile while Cassini imaged the Earth on July 19, 2013 in an event called “The Day the Earth Smiled.”

For more information: 

Solar System Portrait: Earth as 'Pale Blue Dot'

BBC: Saturn snapped as Earth smiled

The Atlantic: The Carl Sagan of Our Time Reprises the 'Pale Blue Dot' Photo of Earth

The Day the Earth Smiled: Image

Library of Congress: Portraits of the Solar System: Talking with Carolyn Porco About Carl Sagan  

More profile about the speaker
Carolyn Porco | Speaker | TED.com
TED2009

Carolyn Porco: Could a Saturn moon harbor life?

Carolyn Porco 問道,土星的衛星上可能有生命存在嗎?

Filmed:
1,054,733 views

Carolyn Porco 分享了最近卡西尼探測器偵測土衛二後,所帶回來最新的、令人興奮的發現。從土衛二上間歇性冰泉噴發所取得的樣品中,暗示著土衛二地表下的海洋可能藏匿著生命。
- Planetary scientist
As the leader of the Imaging Team on the Cassini mission to Saturn, Carolyn Porco interprets and shares the pictures coming back from this fascinating planet, its rings and its moons. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

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Two years年份 ago here at TEDTED
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兩年前在 TED 大會上,
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I reported報導 that we had discovered發現
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我曾向各位報告我們藉由
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at Saturn土星, with the Cassini卡西尼 Spacecraft宇宙飛船,
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卡西尼探測器於土星探測到了
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an anomalously異常 warm and geologically地質學 active活性 region地區
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一個異常溫暖及地質活動頻繁的區域。
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at the southern南部的 tip小費 of the small Saturnine陰沉的 moon月亮
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這個區域位在土星其中一個小衛星(土衛二)的南端,
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Enceladus土衛二, seen看到 here.
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現在在投影片上可以看到。
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This region地區 seen看到 here for the first time
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卡西尼探測器於 2005 年拍攝了這個區域
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in the Cassini卡西尼 image圖片 taken採取 in 2005. This is the south polar極性 region地區,
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的照片後,我們才得見其廬山真面目。這是其南極區域。
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with the famous著名 tiger-stripe老虎條紋 fractures骨折 crossing路口 the south pole.
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有名的虎班裂痕遍佈南極區域。
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And seen看到 just recently最近 in late晚了 2008,
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最近於 2008 下半年,
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here is that region地區 again,
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我們又再一次的看到了這個區域,
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now half in darkness黑暗 because the southern南部的 hemisphere半球
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現在有一半處於黑暗之中,
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is experiencing經歷 the onset發病 of August八月
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因為南半球正在邁入秋季,
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and eventually終於 winter冬季.
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冬季隨後即將來臨。
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And I also reported報導 that we'd星期三 made製作 this mind-blowing令人興奮 discovery發現 --
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我也曾經報告過,我們有一個驚人的發現 —
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this once-in-a-lifetime一生一次的 discovery發現
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這個一生難得的發現,
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of towering參天 jets噴氣機
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一個巨型風暴
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erupting爆發 from those fractures骨折 at the south pole,
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從南極這些裂痕上噴發而出,
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consisting of tiny water ice crystals晶體
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這風暴是由細小的水冰晶伴隨著
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accompanied伴隨著 by water vapor
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水蒸氣所組成,
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and simple簡單 organic有機 compounds化合物 like carbon dioxide二氧化碳 and methane甲烷.
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其中還有像二氧化碳和甲烷等簡單有機化合物。
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And at that time two years年份 ago
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而在兩年前的那個時候,
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I mentioned提到 that we were speculating投機
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我曾提到我們懷疑
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that these jets噴氣機 might威力 in fact事實 be geysers間歇泉,
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這些風暴其實是間歇性噴泉,
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and erupting爆發 from pockets口袋
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從地表下方富含液態水的礦囊
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or chambers of liquid液體 water underneath the surface表面,
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或是密閉空間中噴發而出。
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but we weren't really sure.
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但是我們那時不是非常確定。
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However然而, the implications啟示 of those results結果 --
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然而,這些結果暗示著
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of a possible可能 environment環境 within this moon月亮
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在這個衛星上,存在著一個環境
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that could support支持 prebiotic益生元 chemistry化學,
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可能可以維持生命起源前的化學反應,
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and perhaps也許 life itself本身 --
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甚至可能有生命存在,
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were so exciting扣人心弦 that, in the intervening介入 two years年份,
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非常令人興奮的,在這兩年中
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we have focused重點 more on Enceladus土衛二.
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我們更關注在調查土衛二。
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We've我們已經 flown飛行 the Cassini卡西尼 Spacecraft宇宙飛船
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我們已經使卡西尼探測器飛越
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by this moon月亮 now several一些 times,
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這顆衛星數次。
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flying飛行 closer接近 and deeper更深 into these jets噴氣機,
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飛行與風暴更靠近,進入更深層的風暴中,
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into the denser更密集 regions地區 of these jets噴氣機,
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進入更濃厚的風暴中,
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so that now we have come away with some
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因此現在我們得到了一些
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very precise精確 compositional成分 measurements測量.
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非常珍貴的組成探測資訊。
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And we have found發現
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我發現了
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that the organic有機 compounds化合物 coming未來 from this moon月亮
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從這顆衛星上得到的有機化合物,
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are in fact事實 more complex複雜 than we previously先前 reported報導.
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比我們之前所公佈的報告更為複雜。
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While they're not amino氨基 acids,
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它們還不是胺基酸,
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we're now finding發現 things like
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我們現在可以發現像是
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propane丙烷 and benzene,
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丙烷、苯環、
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hydrogen cyanide氰化物, and formaldehyde甲醛.
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氰化氫和甲醛。
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And the tiny water crystals晶體 here
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而它的小水冰晶
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now look for all the world世界
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現在被世界公認為
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like they are frozen凍結的 droplets液滴 of salty water,
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類似鹹水滴被凝結的狀態。
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which哪一個 is a discovery發現 that suggests提示
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這個發現暗示著
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that not only do the jets噴氣機 come from
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這個風暴不只來自
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pockets口袋 of liquid液體 water,
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液態水的礦囊空間,
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but that that liquid液體 water is in contact聯繫 with rock.
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而且液態水與岩石是有接觸的。
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And that is a circumstance環境
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這是一個能夠
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that could supply供應 the chemical化學 energy能源
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提供化學反應能量
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and the chemical化學 compounds化合物 needed需要 to sustain支持 life.
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及生命所需的化合物的環境。
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So we are very encouraged鼓勵 by these results結果.
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我們受到這些調查結果鼓舞良多。
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And we are much more confident信心 now than we were two years年份 ago
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而且我們現在比兩年前更有信心,
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that we might威力 indeed確實
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在這個衛星
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have on this moon月亮, under the south pole,
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的南極下方
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an environment環境 or a zone that is hospitable好客 to living活的 organisms生物.
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可能真的有一個區域環境是適合生命生存的。
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Whether是否 or not there are living活的 organisms生物 there, of course課程,
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當然,不論是否真的已經有生命存在在那邊,
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is an entirely完全 different不同 matter.
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那是完全不同的課題。
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And that will have to await等待 the arrival到達,
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而那將會需要等到,
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back at Enceladus土衛二,
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配備能夠解答這個問題
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of the spacecrafts航天器, hopefully希望 some time in the near future未來,
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特殊設備的探測器,再次回到土衛二,才能夠解答。
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specifically特別 equipped裝備 to address地址 that particular特定 question.
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希望這能在未來的數年中實現。
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But in the meantime與此同時 I invite邀請 you to imagine想像 the day
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在此同時,我請你們想像那一天,
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when we might威力 journey旅程 to the Saturnine陰沉的 system系統,
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當我們能夠旅行至土衛系統時,
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and visit訪問 the Enceladus土衛二 interplanetary星際 geyser噴泉 park公園,
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並參觀土衛二星際間歇泉公園,
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just because we can.
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只因為我們有能力做到。
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Thank you.
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謝謝各位
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(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Bill Hsiung
Reviewed by Curtis Lo

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Carolyn Porco - Planetary scientist
As the leader of the Imaging Team on the Cassini mission to Saturn, Carolyn Porco interprets and shares the pictures coming back from this fascinating planet, its rings and its moons.

Why you should listen

Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco studies and interprets the photos from NASA space missions like the renowned Voyager mission to the outer solar system in the 1980s and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn. She leads a team of scientists from the US and Europe that has been analyzing the images Cassini has sent back since it left Earth in 1997. At Saturn, they have found new phenomena everywhere they've turned their cameras … in the planet’s atmosphere, within its rings and on the surfaces of its many moons. And they've produced spectacular images and animations of these marvels in the process.

Back in the early-1980s, while still working on her doctorate, Porco was drafted onto the Voyager imaging team to assist in crunching the mountains of data coming back from Voyager’s fly-by of Saturn. Her work on the planet's rings and their relation to its moons cemented her connection with Saturn. After Voyager had flown by Neptune and was nearing conclusion, she worked together with Carl Sagan in planning Voyager’s celebrated Pale Blue Dot picture of Earth.

Her ongoing work at the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPs) has two goals: to process, interpret and archive Cassini’s images for other scientists, and to make sure the images -- in all their breathtaking poetry and mystery and sheer Save-Image-As-Desktop awesomeness -- connect with the general public. She is an advocate for the exploration and understanding of planetary space, and her frequent talks (as well as her "Captain's Log" memos on the CICLOPS website) speak to everyone, scientist and nonscientist alike. Her advocacy extends to Hollywood, where she was the character consultant on the 1997 movie “Contact,” and a consultant on the 2009 Paramount Pictures re-boot of “Star Trek.” In 2012, she was named one the 25 most influential people in space by TIME magazine.

Finally, in a twist on the Pale Blue Dot theme, it was she who conceived the idea to invite the people of the world to smile while Cassini imaged the Earth on July 19, 2013 in an event called “The Day the Earth Smiled.”

For more information: 

Solar System Portrait: Earth as 'Pale Blue Dot'

BBC: Saturn snapped as Earth smiled

The Atlantic: The Carl Sagan of Our Time Reprises the 'Pale Blue Dot' Photo of Earth

The Day the Earth Smiled: Image

Library of Congress: Portraits of the Solar System: Talking with Carolyn Porco About Carl Sagan  

More profile about the speaker
Carolyn Porco | Speaker | TED.com