A thousand years from now, our epoch will be remembered as the time when we first left the Earth and saw it from beyond the outermost planet as a pale blue dot, almost lost against the backdrop of the stars. As we complete the preliminary reconnaissance of our Solar System, we hunger for a long-term vision of the human future. Now, the astronomer who brought the Universe to so many people answers that call - suggesting that our very survival depends on the exploration and settlement of other worlds. Pale Blue Dot reveals how science has revolutionized our understanding of where we stand and who we are and challenges us to weigh what we will do with that knowledge. Emerging out of our sometimes reluctant recognition of our true place in the Cosmos comes a vision of an exhilarating future with a surprisingly spiritual impact. In "Cosmos", the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the mangnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time. Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier -- space. In "Pale Blue Dot" Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor a luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race. The long-awaited sequel to Pulitzer Prize-winner Carl Sagan's classic work Cosmos--the bestselling science book ever published in the English language. A compelling, erudite, and thoroughly entertaining look at man's changing awareness of his place in the universe, Pale Blue Dot is a captivating field guide to our known universe, beautifully represented with dazzling photographs and illustrations.