Amy Barr facts for kids

Amy Barr Mlinar is an American scientist who studies planets. She is a planetary geophysicist, which means she studies the geology and physics of planets and moons. Dr. Barr Mlinar is famous for her work on how icy bodies in space are formed.

She is also part of the National Academies Astrobiology and Planetary Science Committee. This group helps guide important space research. She also helps with two NASA instruments: the Europa Imaging System and REASON. These tools are used to study Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.

Early Life and Education

Amy Barr Mlinar was born in Palo Alto, California. She loved science from a young age. She went to the Caltech, a very famous science school. In 2000, she earned her bachelor's degree in planetary science.

She continued her studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. There, she earned her master's degree in 2002. She then completed her doctorate degree in 2004.

Career and Space Research

After finishing her studies, Dr. Barr Mlinar started her research career. In 2005, she worked at Washington University in St. Louis. The next year, in 2006, she moved to the Southwest Research Institute. She worked there until 2011.

Later, she joined Brown University. In 2015, she moved to the Planetary Science Institute. She is a senior scientist there, meaning she leads important research projects.

Her research helps us understand our solar system better. She studies how Callisto, one of Jupiter's large moons, was formed. She also looks at "moonquakes" or seismic activity on Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn. Another area of her research is the Late Heavy Bombardment. This was a time long ago when many asteroids hit planets and moons. Dr. Barr Mlinar has also studied TRAPPIST-1, a star system with several Earth-sized planets.

See also

In Spanish: Amy Barr para niños