We live in a grand universe, full of mystery, beauty, and the potential for life. Yet we rarely stop to marvel at our place in the cosmos.
Through his poetic, inspirational words, late astronomer Carl Sagan helped us realize that life on Earth is a precious gift.
Here, we've paired the latest photos by the revolutionary Hubble Space Telescope with some of Sagan's best quotes, which shine a glimmering light on who we are, why we're here, and where we're going.
Check out the quotes with a brief description of each image below:
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"The origin and evolution of life are connected in the most intimate way with the origin and evolution of the stars."
This large cluster contains hundreds of thousands of stars and is 180,000 light-years away in another galaxy, the Large Magellanic cloud. Click here to learn more.
"The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond ordinary human understanding. Lost somewhere between immensity and eternity is our tiny planetary home."
Because of its shape, this giant gas cloud is nicknamed the "Horsehead Nebula" and is about 1,300 light-years from Earth. Click here to learn more.
"The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. From it we have learned most of what we know. Recently, we have waded a little out to sea, enough to dampen our toes or, at most, wet our ankles. The water seems inviting."
The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy is a mysterious place about 15 million light-years away. Click here to learn more.
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