《Pale Blue Dot》

by Carl Sagan(Author)

Paperback: 360 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books Inc.; Ballantine Books ed edition (1 Jan. 1997)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0345376595

ISBN-13: 978-0345376596

Product Dimensions:14 x 2 x 20.8 cm

Product Description

A thousand years from now, our epoch will be remembered as the time when we first left the Earth and saw it from beyond the outermost planet as a pale blue dot, almost lost against the backdrop of the stars. As we complete the preliminary reconnaissance of our Solar System, we hunger for a long-term vision of the human future. Now, the astronomer who brought the Universe to so many people answers that call - suggesting that our very survival depends on the exploration and settlement of other worlds. Pale Blue Dot reveals how science has revolutionized our understanding of where we stand and who we are and challenges us to weigh what we will do with that knowledge. Emerging out of our sometimes reluctant recognition of our true place in the Cosmos comes a vision of an exhilarating future with a surprisingly spiritual impact.

From the Inside Flap

"FASCINATING . . . MEMORABLE . . . REVEALING . . . PERHAPS THE BEST OF CARL SAGAN'S BOOKS."
--The Washington Post Book World (front page review)
In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.
Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier--space. In Pale Blue Dot Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race.
"TAKES READERS FAR BEYOND Cosmos . . . Sagan sees humanity's future in the stars."
--Chicago Tribune

About the Author

Carl Sagan was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He played a leading role in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager missions to the planets and briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon. He helped solve many mysteries in planetary science from the high temperature of Venus to the seasonal changes on Mars. For his unique contributions, he was awarded the NASA Medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievment and for Distinguished Public Service (twice), as well as the Tsiolkovsky Medal of the Soviet Cosmonautics Federation, the John F. Kennedy Award of the American Astronautical Society and the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Space Education.