Cosmos: Carl Sagan

"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." – Excerpted from The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean, Carl Sagan, Cosmos, 1980

In honor of Carl Sagan's birthday on November 9th, NASA’s Kepler Mission and the SETI Institute invited the public to submit writings inspired by the imagery that he created for us in his allegory of The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean. Essays have been submitted; it is now time to enjoy them. Finalists will be published on this site up until Sagan Day. Winning essay will be announced November 9,