Jill Tarter

Date of Birth: January 16, 1944

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Biography

Jill Cornell Tarter is an American astronomer and the former director of the Center for SETI Research, holding the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) at the SETI Institute. Tarter was born in New York City and grew up with a deep fascination for the stars, which eventually led her to pursue a career in astronomy. She earned her Bachelor of Engineering Physics degree from Cornell University in 1965 and later received her Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley. Tarter’s work has been pivotal in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. She has been a principal investigator on numerous projects aimed at detecting signals from intelligent civilizations beyond Earth. Her dedication to this field has earned her numerous accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award by Women in Aerospace and being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2004. Throughout her career, Tarter has also been an advocate for women in science and has worked tirelessly to encourage more young women to pursue careers in STEM fields. Her life and work were the inspiration for the character Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan’s novel “Contact,” which was later adapted into a film starring Jodie Foster.

5 Interesting Facts about Jill Tarter

1. Jill Tarter’s work inspired the character Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan’s novel “Contact,” which was later made into a film.

2. She was the project scientist for NASA’s SETI program, which was canceled by Congress in 1993.

3. Tarter has received multiple awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Aerospace and the TED Prize in 2009.

4. She has been a strong advocate for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and has dedicated her career to this cause.

5. Tarter co-founded the SETI Institute, a private, nonprofit organization, to continue the search for extraterrestrial signals.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jill Tarter

1. “We, all of us, are what happens when a primordial mixture of hydrogen and helium evolves for so long that it begins to ask where it came from.”

2. “The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is a search for who we are.”

3. “We should be listening.”

4. “The universe is a pretty big place. If it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space.”

5. “Exploration of the unknown requires an open mind.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jill Tarter’s highest net worth achieved is estimated to be around $1 million, primarily from her work in academia and contributions to scientific research.