Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot - 30 Years On

Thirty

years

ago, the distant Voyager 1 spacecraft had completed its primary mission of exploring Jupiter and Saturn. The late Carl Sagan proposed that he turn around and face his home planet, to take one last meaningful photograph of Earth. All alone, against the blackness of space, he saw a

pale

blue

dot. This image of our home, taken from an unimaginable distance, became one of the greatest legacies of our efforts in space exploration. Carl knew this image would have immeasurable cultural value and offer a unique perspective on our place in the universe. (Various voices): "Look at that spot again.

That's here. That's home. That's us. The only home we've ever known. In it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you've ever known." As you've heard, every human being who ever existed lived their lives on a speck of dust suspended in a ray of sunlight." Since then, humanity has sent new robotic emissaries into the darkness of space, continuing our tradition of exploration. , but as we move deeper and deeper into the void, we keep looking back at that

pale

blue

dot; at the distant world that dared to "Dream of the stars. Now, 30

years

later, extraordinary new discoveries are being made.

Our vast galaxy has never seemed more familiar: we now know that our solar system is just one among thousands, an oasis of life in a vast cosmic sea. With more than 4,000 exoplanets detected to date, we have begun to observe the first "pale dots" around other stars. And despite the overwhelming distances, we can now observe the atmospheres of these new worlds, continuing our search for life in the Universe. (Anne Druyan, wife of Carl Sagan): “When Carl Sagan began his scientific career, the search for life on other worlds was not considered a respectable astronomical pursuit. Carl and a handful of other scientists defied the scorn of many of his colleagues to break that taboo.

How I wish I could tell him that the institute that bears his name is a vibrant collective of scientists continuing the quest he and others began. I am sure he would be proud and honored to have it done in his name.” Here at Cornell University we continue Carl's legacy. We are building the tools to find life in the Cosmos. We are the Carl Sagan Institute. Join us on our journey.