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Carl Sag An

Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and author born in New York City in 1934. As a child and student, he was fascinated by stars and pursued astronomy throughout his education. Sagan spent his career researching the solar system and searching for extraterrestrial life, making several important discoveries about Venus and Mars. He is most remembered for popularizing science through books like Cosmos and articles that educated the public about astronomy and our universe in an accessible way. Sagan's research, publications, and ability to engage the public significantly expanded scientific understanding and changed perceptions of topics like the environment and nuclear war.

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Liza Dawson
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81 views2 pages

Carl Sag An

Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and author born in New York City in 1934. As a child and student, he was fascinated by stars and pursued astronomy throughout his education. Sagan spent his career researching the solar system and searching for extraterrestrial life, making several important discoveries about Venus and Mars. He is most remembered for popularizing science through books like Cosmos and articles that educated the public about astronomy and our universe in an accessible way. Sagan's research, publications, and ability to engage the public significantly expanded scientific understanding and changed perceptions of topics like the environment and nuclear war.

Uploaded by

Liza Dawson
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Liza Chowdhury

Honors Chemistry
Mr. Knuffke
23 September 2010

There have been numerous eminent figures in history that are from New York. Of
those many people, Carl Edward Sagan is one of the most memorable scientists for his
contributions to astronomy and society in general. Sagan was born in New York City on
November 9 of 1934. As a child the stars captivated him and at the age of 9 he was an
amateur astronomer. He followed that fascination of stars throughout high school and
college and later became an American astronomer and author.
Sagan spent his entire life researching the solar system and investigating possible
extraterrestrial life. His greatest contribution to society was the books he wrote. Cosmic
Connection was the first book published and it was an introduction to space exploration
and the search for extraterrestrial life. A few years later his book about the evolution of
the human brain, The Dragons of Eden, was published and awarded the Pulitzer Prize in
1977. Cosmos, which gave a brief history of the physical universe, was published in
1980. A television series was developed based on the book as well. As an author he put
his decades of research into his books and helped popularize science by informing the
public about the universe and Earth. That is his greatest contribution alongside his many
scientific findings.
Sagan made many discoveries, both minor and major. His first major finding was
about the surface and atmosphere of Venus. He overturned the notion that the radio
emissions observed came from the activity of charged particles. He discovered that the
radio waves observed were actually caused by the very hot surface temperature due to the
greenhouse effect on the planet. This discovery changed what was known of Venus and
inspired others to research more about it. Other discoveries made by Sagan included the
conclusion that the bright regions detected on Mars were lowlands filled with sand and
dust blown by the wind and that the dark regions were elevated regions of highlands. His
conclusion omitted the previous notion that the different regions of Mars were covered
with plants that change with the seasons. Along with a few colleagues, Sagan discovered
the global consequences of multiple nuclear explosions. They published an article in
December of 1983 titled “Nuclear Winter.” This article had a great effect on human
perception of nuclear war by explaining the many consequences. His discoveries inspired
some and helped others understand the universe better.
Due to Carl Sagan’s research and discoveries, scientist and the public have a finer
understanding of the universe and earth. The perception of society has changed and the
amount of knowledge has increased due to his books and article. That is why Carl Sagan
of New York is one of the most memorable scientists.

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