birth_place nationality field work_institutions birth_date prizes image article_title name alma_mater
california american planetary science astronomy geology space science institute massachusetts institute of technology march 14 , 1960 klumpke-roberts -lrb- 1996 -rrb- carl sagan medal -lrb- 2002 -rrb- award -lrb- 1995 -rrb- harold c. urey prize heidi hammel upgraded hubble space telescope images.jpg heidi hammel
 heidi b. hammel massachusetts institute of technology -lrb- mit -rrb-
heidi hammel

heidi b. hammel -lrb- born march 14 , 1960 -rrb- is a planetary astronomer who has extensively studied neptune and uranus .
she is executive vice president of the association of universities for research in astronomy .
she is the 2002 recipient of the carl sagan medal given to a scientist whose communications have greatly enhanced the general public 's understanding of planetary science .
she was one of discover magazine 's 50 most important women in science in 2003 .
