Biography
The life and times of a visionary astronomer.
Early Life & Education
Born on November 9, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York, Carl Sagan developed an early fascination with the stars. Nurtured by visits to the 1939 New York World's Fair and the American Museum of Natural History, his curiosity led him to the University of Chicago, where he earned degrees in physics, astronomy, and astrophysics. It was here that he began to cultivate the multidisciplinary approach that would define his entire career.
Career at Cornell
In 1968, Sagan joined Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he spent the majority of his academic career. He became a full professor in 1971 and directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. At Cornell, he was a beloved professor, inspiring countless students with his profound passion for planetary science, critical thinking, and the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
Involvement with NASA
Sagan was a prominent consultant and adviser to NASA beginning in the 1950s. He famously briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon and was deeply involved in the Mariner, Viking, and Voyager planetary missions. His research on the Viking landers helped define the biological experiments designed to search for microbial life on Mars, while his tireless leadership on the Voyager mission resulted in the inclusion of the Golden Record, a timeless capsule intended to communicate the story of our world to the distant cosmos.