Carl Sagan

Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose poetic wonder and scientific rigor inspired millions across the planet. A professor of astronomy at Cornell University, Sagan conducted pioneering research on planetary atmospheres, demonstrating that Venus's furnace-like surface is caused by a runaway greenhouse effect and suggesting liquid hydrocarbon oceans on Saturn's moon Titan.

Sagan played key roles in NASA's Mariner, Viking, and Voyager planetary exploration missions, assembling the famous Voyager Golden Record and conceiving the iconic 1990 'Pale Blue Dot' photograph of Earth taken from four billion miles away. In 1980, his television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage became the most-watched public television series in world history, watched by over 500 million people across 60 countries. A tireless champion of critical thinking and scientific skepticism, Sagan co-founded the Planetary Society and spearheaded the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).