Every year, the 9th of November is observed as Carl Sagan Day. It’s a day that not only remembers the man who contributed greatly to the development of planetary science but also has inspired new generations of people to take an interest in their universe.

He was an astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, planetary scientist, author, and science advocate. It’s for his many contributions to science and to space policy and advocacy that this day is currently celebrated.

It’s also a day that encourages all of us to think about the future of humanity and its ceaseless struggle to reach for the stars. Human exploration is nowhere near being over, and this holiday reminds us of this fact every single year that it comes around.

The History of Carl Sagan Day

Carl Sagan was born on November 9, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York. He was initially an assistant at Harvard, but his work would later take him to Cornell. This is where he spent the majority of his career.

Throughout his career, he published over 600 scientific papers and co-authored or edited more than 20 different books. He also created the award-winning 1980 TV series known as “Cosmos” and would become the founder and first president of The Planetary Society. Throughout his life, he was known for being an advocate of science and space exploration, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

In 2009, November 9 was designated as Carl Sagan Day by the Center for Inquiry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was also supported by Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists (FLASH), as well as an assortment of other groups. This holiday has since been observed every year with star parties, science fairs, astronomy lectures, and symposiums, as well as a variety of other events.

Some Interesting Facts About Carl Sagan

Below are some of the most interesting facts that we learned about Carl Sagan, his work, and his life. We would like to now share this information with everyone who observes Carl Sagan Day. So let’s take a look at them before we continue with our discussion of this holiday.

• Bill Nye was a student of Carl Sagan.
• Carl Sagan defended and supported climate science.
• Carl Sagan was denied tenure by Harvard in 1967.

Observing Carl Sagan Day

Carl Sagan Day can be observed in an almost infinite number of ways. People can host stargazing parties, attend astronomy lectures, or even take a course in astronomy. People can also check out old episodes of “Cosmos,” read one of the many books that Carl Sagan wrote, and they can join The Planetary Society. Science lovers and future space explorers can also spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #CarlSaganDay on social media.