Science AMA Series: I’m Dr. Bonnie Buratti, an astronomer at NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Lab. I’ve worked on missions such as Cassini and New
Horizons. I hope to answer your questions about the planets. AMA!
Abstract
Hi, I’m Dr. Bonnie Buratti, and I’ve worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory for 35 years. Most recently I’ been on the following
missions: Cassini to Saturn, New Horizons to Pluto, and Rosetta to a
comet. I’m interested in what planets are made of and what it would be
like if we just stood on their surfaces. I’m fascinated by all the
exotic things we’ve found – sulfur volcanoes on Io, methane lakes on
Titan, polar caps of dry ice on Mars, and nitrogen glaciers on Pluto.
I’d like to share my excitement about what we’ve found with you. I just
published a book, “Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar”, that is a
personal guide through the Solar System. I describe how landforms on the
planets are similar to those on the Earth, only often more fantastic.
I’ll be back at 2 pm ET (11 am PT) to answer your questions, ask me
anything! edit: 1:28 PM PST - Thank you to the entire /r/science
community for your participation and thoughtful questions. I would also
like to thank the mods for their great stewardship and seamless setup
(especially Nate).