Carl Edward Sagan was a pioneering American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist, author, and a recognized science communicator. His work laid the groundwork for the scientific field of exobiology and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), making significant contributions to our understanding of the universe.

Sagan was initially an assistant professor at Harvard before becoming a professor at Cornell University, where he spent most of his career. He was the first scientist to hold the David Duncan Professorship in Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell, created in 1976, and also directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. His observations on the atmosphere of Venus were among the first to study the greenhouse effect on a planetary scale.

He became widely known through the award-winning television documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which he narrated and co-authored. This series became the most widely watched series in the history of American public television, with an audience of about 500 million people across 60 countries. Sagan's ability to convey scientific ideas and cultural aspects to the general public with ease and rigor made him one of the most charismatic and influential science communicators of his time.

Throughout his life, Sagan received numerous awards and honors for his work as a science communicator. These include the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal, the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book The Dragons of Eden, and two Emmy Awards, the Peabody Award, and the Hugo Award for Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.