He continues to counter myths about the universe throughout the book. In these early chapters, Sagan assumes an Enlightenment ethos he encourages the use of the scientific method, interrogating what we know and learning new knowledge through experiments. It builds character and self-awareness, and it encourages us to think long-term rather than short-term.Īfter an opening discussion of the “pale blue dot” image, the book examines the history of planetary science. A more theatrical example is the book’s namesake image: a photograph of Earth, taken by Voyager 1 beyond Saturn, in which Earth is merely a “pale blue dot.” The cosmic perspective thus provided, Sagan suggests, is as valuable as any hard science. For example, studying the greenhouse effect on Venus led to the discovery of Earth’s depleting ozone layer. Learning about the creation and destruction of other worlds helps humans better understand the past and future of Earth. One justification, Sagan argues throughout, is that the more we venture into the solar system, the more we learn about Earth and ourselves. In the wake of the Challenger explosion, repeated failures to find evidence of life on other planets, and changing priorities among the public, Sagan looks to justify continued multi-billion-dollar missions into space. The rest of Pale Blue Dot is a philosophical inquiry into the value of space exploration. Special emphasis is given to NASA’s Voyager program and its groundbreaking studies of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Half the book is a history of planetary science from the first humans to the early 1990s, with an emphasis on discoveries about the solar system since the publication of Sagan’s book Cosmos in 1980.

Pale Blue Dot aims to both educate and inspire its readers.

Carl sagan blue dot