of planetary ring systems...and a leader in spacecraft exploration of the outer solar system." In 2008, Porco was awarded the Isaac Asimov Science Award by the American Humanist Association. In May 2009, Porco received an Honorary D.Sc. degree from Stony Brook University, of which she is an alumna. In September 2009, Porco was awarded The Huntington Library's Science Writer Fellowship for 2010. That same month, New Statesman named her as one of 'The 50 People Who Matter Today.' In October 2009, she and Babak Amin Tafreshi were each awarded the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award in recognition of their photographic work. The award panel's citation for Porco reads as follows: In October 2010, Porco was awarded the 2010 Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in the Communication of Science to the Public, presented by the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. In 2011 she won the Distinguished Alumni Award from the California Institute of Technology, the highest honor regularly bestowed by Caltech. In 2012, Porco was named one of the 25 most influential people in space by Time magazine. Porco received the for her "exceptional contribution to a realistic and colourful image of the universe" in 2020, which was presented on October 2, 2022. Musical interests Porco is fascinated by the 1960s and The Beatles and has, at times, incorporated references to The Beatles and their music into her presentations, writings, and press releases. The first color image released by Cassini to the public was an image of Jupiter, taken during Cassinis approach to the giant planet and released on October 9, 2000, to honor John Lennon's 60th birthday. In 2006, she produced and directed a brief 8-minute movie of 64 of Cassinis most spectacular images, put to the music of the Beatles, in honor of Paul McCartney's 64th birthday. And in 2007, she produced a poster showing 64 scenes from Saturn. Porco is also interested in dance and fascinated with Michael Jackson. In August 2010, she won a Michael Jackson costume/dance contest held in Boulder, Colorado. Quotes of Porco's were used in the production of "The Poetry of Reality (An Anthem for Science)", "A Wave of Reason", "Children of Africa (The Story of Us)", and "Onward to the Edge!" by Symphony of Science. See also List of women in leadership positions on astronomical instrumentation projects References External links CarolynPorco.com – Official website Pangea Day opening speech by Carolyn Porco "This