Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan Planetary Society cropped

Carl Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator in astronomy and other natural sciences. He is best known for his work as a science popularizer and communicator. His best-known scientific contribution is research on extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by radiation. Sagan assembled the first physical messages sent into space: the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, universal messages that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them. Sagan argued the hypothesis that the high surface temperatures of Venus can be attributed to and calculated using the greenhouse effect.

Early Life

Carl Sagan was born in Brooklyn, New York. His interest in science began early, and by the age of five, he was already showing a keen interest in the stars. His parents encouraged his growing passion by buying him chemistry sets and books about the stars. Sagan's education was extensive, culminating in a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Chicago in 1960.

Career

Throughout his career, Sagan worked at several institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Cornell University, where he spent most of his career. Sagan played a leading role in the American space program since its inception. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA during the 1950s, and he briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon. His contributions to the discovery of the high surface temperatures of Venus and the seasonal changes on Mars were pivotal. He also helped to solve the mystery of the reddish haze of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, which is due to complex organic molecules.

Public Outreach

Carl Sagan is perhaps best remembered for his public outreach work, particularly his award-winning 1980 television series, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. The series, which Sagan wrote and narrated, has been seen by more than 500 million people across 60 countries and has been influential in popularizing science. Sagan's ability to convey his passions for the universe in an understandable and exciting way helped to demystify science for the general public. He authored many books for the layperson, including The Dragons of Eden, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and Contact, which was made into a major motion picture in 1997.

Legacy

Carl Sagan's legacy is vast. He inspired a generation to look at the universe with new eyes and to question their understanding of the world. His work in SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has helped to propel the search for extraterrestrial life into the mainstream of scientific inquiry. The Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University was founded in his honor to further his mission of finding life in the cosmos. His numerous awards and honors include the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal.

Death

Carl Sagan died of pneumonia at the age of 62 on December 20, 1996. His death was a great loss to the scientific community and to the millions of people he inspired.