30 years ago, the distant Voyager 1 spacecraft had
completed its primary mission of exploring Jupiter and
Saturn.
The late Carl Sagan proposed it turn around
and look back towards its home planet,
to take one last meaningful picture of Earth.
All alone, against the blackness of space,
it saw a pale blue dot.
This image of our home, taken from an unimaginable
distance, became one of the greatest legacies
of our endeavors in space exploration.
Carl knew that this picture would have immeasurable
cultural value, offering a unique perspective
on our place in the universe.
(Multiple voices): "Look again at that dot.
That's here. That's home. That's us.
The only home we have ever known.
On it everyone you love, everyone you know,
everyone you've ever heard of, every human being
who ever was, lived out their lives, on a
mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”
Since then, humanity has sent new robotic
emissaries out into the darkness of space,
continuing our tradition of exploration.
But as we push ever further out into the void,
we continue to look back at that pale blue dot;
at the distant world that dared to dream of the stars.
Now, 30 years on, extraordinary 
new discoveries are being made.
Our vast galaxy has never looked more familiar:
we now know our solar system is but one among
thousands, an oasis of life in a vast cosmic sea.
With more than 4000 exoplanets detected to
date, we have begun observing the first
"pale dots” around other stars.
And despite the overwhelming distances, we
can now peer into the atmospheres of these
new worlds, continuing our quest
to find life in the Universe.
(Anne Druyan, Carl Sagan's wife): 
“When Carl Sagan began his career in science
the search for life on other worlds was not considered
a reputable astronomical pursuit.
Carl and a handful of other scientists braved
the scorn of many of their colleagues
to break that taboo.
How I wish I could tell him that the institute
that bears his name is a vibrant collective
of scientists who continue the searching that
he and others began.
I am certain that he would be proud and humbled
that they do so in his name.”
Here at Cornell University, 
we are continuing Carl’s legacy.
We are building the tools to find life in the Cosmos.
We are the Carl Sagan Institute.
Join us in our journey.
