10 Out-of-This-World Fun Facts About Carl Sagan You Need to Know!

1. The Ultimate Earth Selfie

Despite never becoming a GPS technician or a professional stalker, Carl Sagan did manage to snap an iconic selfie of the entire Earth from billions of miles away: As a member of the Voyager mission's imaging team, he proposed capturing an image of our planet from afar, which materialized in 1990 as the famous "Pale Blue Dot" picture – a humbling snapshot reminding us of our tiny place in the cosmic arena and the value of safeguarding our one and only home.
Source => blogs.scientificamerican.com

2. E.T.'s Cosmic Area Code

If E.T. ever phones home with a cosmic collect call, they might just thank Carl Sagan for providing the interstellar area code: Sagan co-created the Pioneer plaques on the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecrafts, launched in 1972 and 1973, which gave future extraterrestrial pen pals a crash course on Earth culture – complete with a celestial cheat sheet, humanity's couple portraits, and the spacecraft's must-have silhouette accessory.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Discover how Jane Goodall's groundbreaking observations at Gombe Stream National Park forever changed our perception of chimpanzees and their surprising abilities! 🐵🔧

=> Fun Facts about Jane-Goodall

3. High-minded Astronomer

While most think of Carl Sagan as master of the cosmos, few know him as a high-minded connoisseur of herbal remedies: This space commander of astronomy secretly penned an essay as "Mr. X," advocating for the legalization of medical marijuana based on its therapeutic benefits he personally experienced, and he later publicly supported the cause, with his wife Ann Druyan joining in the cosmic crusade for cannabis.
Source => openculture.com

4. Galactic Bestseller

In a galaxy not-so-far away, where Pulitzer prizes and bestseller lists align in cosmic harmony, a stellar author found himself among the greats: Carl Sagan and his captivating book, "The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective," landed at number thirteen on Discover Magazine's "25 Greatest Science Books of All Time" in 2006. This literary cosmic journey explores the wonders of extraterrestrial intelligence, advanced civilizations, and their potential communications with us Earthlings, all while showcasing mesmerizing artwork by Jon Lomberg and fellow cosmic artists.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Water Whisperer of Mars

Don't let the water run: Mars had an unexpected secret squirreled away, and it was Carl Sagan who "mopped" it up during the Mariner 9 mission: His diligent analysis helped reveal traces of running water and recent geological activity, debunking the erstwhile notion that the Red Planet was a lifeless, barren desert.
Source => popsci.com

6. Martian Dust Buster

In a Martian twist of "Dust in the Wind": Carl Sagan and James Pollack debunked the idea of seasonal Martian vegetation in 1967, demonstrating that the planet's "wave of darkening" was actually due to winds depositing and removing light-colored dust on darker rocks.
Source => amnh.org

7. Sagan Saves the World

When Carl Sagan wasn't searching for life among the stars or pondering billions and billions of galaxies, he was apparently busy as a peace activist with his eyes set on saving the world from nuclear annihilation: Sagan, along with his fellow scientists, introduced the chilling concept of "nuclear winter" in a 1983 Science paper, warning of the catastrophic global climate effects caused by smoke from nuclear blasts. This revelation ultimately played a crucial role in halting the US-Soviet arms race and preventing a doomsday scenario that would have left Earth looking like a cosmic wasteland.
Source => nature.com

8. Spaceship Sagan

Who said you can't name a spaceship after a guy with a serious case of interstellar wanderlust? Behold, the Carl Sagan Memorial Station: This notable astronomer was honored by NASA with a lander named after him in the Mars Pathfinder mission, which proved low-cost planetary exploration and paved the way for groundbreaking technologies like airbag-mediated touchdown and automated obstacle avoidance—all for a cosmic bargain of a mere $280 million.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Hollywood's Cosmic Consultant

If Carl Sagan's dance card wasn't full enough being a cosmic crusader, he also moonlighted as a Hollywood accuracy advisor: He played a significant role in ensuring scientific precision in the film adaptation of his novel, Contact, to not only entertain viewers but also educate them on the marvels of the cosmos.
Source => setileague.org

10. Marijuana Maven of the Cosmos

Reefer madness or cerebral musings? The cosmos had a little helper: Carl Sagan was an advocate for using marijuana to spark intellectual inspiration, penning an essay about his experiences with the drug under the pseudonym "Mr. X." His impact didn't end there: his widow, Ann Druyan, went on to become a member of the board of directors for NORML, a non-profit organization pushing for cannabis legalization.
Source => knowyourmeme.com