San Diego Space Society

Celebrating Sagan Day

Posted by Jesse Clark in Calendar, Chapter Updates, Contests, Events, movie, SAL on October 15, 2010

3:00 pm to 8:00 pm

6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Location:
Space Travelers Emporium (map)
1947 30th St. San Diego, CA 92102

SD Space is celebrating Carl Sagan Day through a series of events. First, we’ll highlight some of the work done by the enigmatic astronomer through a series of wall displays at the Space Activities Lab the week leading to Sagan Day. On Sunday, Nov. 7th, we’ll show our favorite episodes from the series “Cosmos” and finally, on Nov. 9th – Sagan’s birthday – we’ll screen the movie “Contact”, based on the book that Sagan authored.

If Carl Sagan was an inspiration to you, like he was to so many of us, consider entering the contest sponsored by the Kepler (planet-hunting telescope) mission. They plan to celebrate “Sagan Day” – Carl Sagan’s birthday – by holding an essay contest with a Carl Sagan theme. The contest is based around one of Sagan’s most famous Cosmos ‘chapters’, “On the shore of the Cosmic Ocean”..

“The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. On this shore, we’ve learned most of what we know. Recently, we’ve waded a little way out, maybe ankle-deep, and the water seems inviting. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return, and we can, because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”
- Carl Sagan, Cosmos, 1980

If this passage inspires you, consider joining in the competition and the celebrations of “Sagan Day” too.

Members and the public are invited to visit the Space Travelers Emporium and the Space Activities Lab, view the Sagan highlights on display and attend the screenings. RSVP events@sdspace.org if you would like to join either celebration or have questions about the contest.