Galaxies and the Milky Way

Image courtesy of NASA

Carl Sagan, astronomer and astrophysicist

In 1980, the American astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan wrote in his award-winning book Cosmos:

Where are we? Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a hum-drum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.

What do you think he means by this quote? Do you agree or disagree with him? Why? Post your responses to these questions in the discussions area. Then, return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates’ posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation.