Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan is a noted contributor to Encyclopaedia Britannica online. Read Britannica's biography of Carl Sagan

Astronomer and science writer Carl Sagan (1934-96) was a highly popular and influential figure in the United States and controversial in scientific, political, and religious circles for his views on extraterrestrial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and religion. His prolific writings included Britannica’s article on “Life,” which was later updated by his wife, Lynn Margulis, and son, Dorion Sagan.

Carl Sagan is the author of The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence; Cosmos; and others.

Photograph: NASA

Primary Contributions (2)
An elongated structure resembling a fossil microorganism (centre of image), revealed in a photomicrograph of a sample of the Martian meteorite ALH84001. The finding has been used in support of a controversial suggestion by some scientists that the meteorite contains microscopic and chemical evidence of ancient life indigenous to Mars.
Extraterrestrial life, life that may exist or may have existed in the universe outside of Earth. The search for extraterrestrial life encompasses many fundamental scientific questions. What are the basic requirements for life? Could life have arisen elsewhere in the solar system? Are there other…
Do you have what it takes to go to space?