Amanda Hendrix facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amanda R. Hendrix
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| Born | May 21, 1968 |
| Citizenship | US |
| Alma mater | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo University of Colorado, Boulder |
| Known for | ultraviolet spectroscopy |
| Awards | JPL Lew Allen Award for Excellence, 2006 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | planetary science, solar system astronomy |
| Institutions | Planetary Science Institute Jet Propulsion Laboratory Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado |
| Doctoral advisor | Charles A. Barth |
Amanda R. Hendrix (born May 21, 1968) is an American planetary scientist. She is famous for her studies of objects in our Solar System using ultraviolet light. She works as a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.
Amanda Hendrix studies what moons and asteroids are made of. She also looks at how space weather, like radiation, changes their surfaces. She has been a key scientist on many important space missions. For example, she worked with the Cassini mission, which explored Saturn, and the Galileo mission, which explored Jupiter. She also works with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, which studies Earth's Moon, and uses the Hubble Space Telescope for her research.
Since 2019, she has helped lead the NASA Roadmaps to Oceans World Group. This group plans how to explore places in space that might have oceans, like some moons.
Before joining the Planetary Science Institute, Dr. Hendrix worked for 12 years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). JPL is a big research center that builds and operates robotic space missions for NASA. She was also the Deputy Project Scientist for the Cassini–Huygens mission from 2010 to 2012.
Dr. Hendrix earned her first degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She then received her master's and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Since 2024, she has been the main editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research E: Planets. This is an important science magazine where researchers publish their findings about planets.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Hendrix has received several important awards for her work.
- In 2006, she was given the Lew Allen Award for Excellence. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in science and engineering.
- An asteroid was named after her! It is called 6813 Amandahendrix. This was announced in 2018.
- In 2024, she was named a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society. This honor is given to scientists who have made major contributions to astronomy. She was recognized for her wide-ranging studies of how different materials on small space objects are affected by heat, radiation, and other forces. She was also honored for managing complex science systems and for her dedication to the planetary and space science communities.
Media and Outreach
Dr. Hendrix enjoys sharing her knowledge with the public.
- While at JPL, she wrote many blog posts about the Cassini mission's discoveries.
- She also took part in the "Cassini Scientist for a Day" program, helping students learn about space.
- She has given special lectures, like the Von Karman lecture in 2008, where she talked about Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons.
- She also gave the Kepler lecture in 2013, discussing lunar exploration from the Apollo era to the future.
- You might have seen her on TV! She has appeared on shows like the History Channel's The Universe and the Discovery Channel's How the Universe Works.
- She has also written articles for The Planetary Report, a magazine about space exploration.
Besides her research and public outreach, Dr. Hendrix has taught college classes. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate students at Cal Poly, Pomona, Mt. San Antonio College, and the University of Colorado Boulder.
See also
In Spanish: Amanda Hendrix para niños
