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Cosmos

Astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan is host and narrator of this 13-hour series that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States. Dr. Sagan describes the universe in a way that appeals to a mass audience, by using Earth as a reference point, by speaking in terms intelligible to non-scientific people, by relating the exploration of space to that of the Earth by pioneers of old, and by citing such Earth legends as the Library of Alexandria as metaphors for space-related future events. Among Dr. Sagan's favorite topics are the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and a warning about a similar effect taking place on Earth due to global pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light, the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing, and the search, using radio technology, for intelligent life in deep space.

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Cast & Crew See All

Carl Sagan
Self - Host
Jaromír Hanzlík
Johannes Kepler
Jonathan Fahn
Young Champollion

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean

Sun, Sep 28, 198060 mins

Carl Sagan opens the program with a description of the cosmos and the Spaceship of the Imagination. The ship journeys through the universe's hundred billion galaxies, the Local Group, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way, the Orion Nebula, our Solar System, and finally the planet Earth. Eratosthenes' successful calculation of the circumference of Earth leads to a description of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Finally, the Ages of Science are described, before pulling back to the full span of the Cosmic Calendar.

Where to Watch

Featured Video

Cosmos
Cosmos
1:09

1:09 Cosmos

Awards

  • 1981 - Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Informational Series - nominated
  • 1981 - Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Individual Achievement - Creative Technical Crafts - winner
  • 1981 - Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Individual Achievement - Creative Technical Crafts - winner
  • 1981 - Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming - winner

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