Amy Simon

Amy Simon

Amy Simon loves the adventure of exploring other planets. Right now she relies on telescopes to help her do that, but she is still dreaming that one day she might go there herself. Actually, that is why she became an astronomer in the first place. Growing up in suburban New Jersey she could not see too many stars, but when Sally Ride became the first American woman in space she decided to become the first woman to set foot on Mars! Astronomy proved to be a natural extension. She got her PhD from New Mexico State University and has been a researcher at Cornell University since then, working on planetary science - mainly with the Galileo and Cassini missions. She admires the great vastness of space, even though it could prevent her dream from becoming true, as humans will have to develop new technologies for quicker travel and better communication before they will be able to reach other planets and maybe even colonize them.

Until that happens she passes her time by playing a lot of different outside sports, among them softball and volleyball, and by rock climbing, hiking, and caving. She loves her profession - she just wishes that people would stop asking her to read their palms!

Learn more about the Cassini and the Galileo spacecraft missions