ASTRONOMER
Carl Sagan
1934 - 1996

Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan (; SAY-gən; November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by exposure to light. He assembled the first physical messages sent into space, the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, which are universal messages that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them. He argued in favor of the hypothesis, which has since been accepted, that the high surface temperatures of Venus are the result of the greenhouse effect. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Carl Sagan is the 20th most popular astronomer (down from 15th in 2019), the 285th most popular biography from United States (down from 209th in 2019) and the 3rd most popular American Astronomer.
Carl Sagan is most famous for his work in the field of astronomy. He was a professor at Cornell University and taught astronomy and astrophysics. He also wrote many books about science, including "Cosmos" and "Pale Blue Dot."
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Among ASTRONOMERS
Among astronomers, Carl Sagan ranks 20 out of 644. Before him are Ja'far al-Sadiq, Edwin Hubble, Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille, Ole Rømer, and Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr.. After him are Avempace, Aryabhata, Caroline Herschel, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and Charles Messier.
Most Popular Astronomers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJa'far al-Sadiq
702 - 765
HPI: 79.09
Rank: 14
Edwin Hubble
1889 - 1953
HPI: 78.45
Rank: 15
Giovanni Domenico Cassini
1625 - 1712
HPI: 78.44
Rank: 16
Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille
1713 - 1762
HPI: 78.29
Rank: 17
Ole Rømer
1644 - 1710
HPI: 77.72
Rank: 18
Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr.
1941 - Present
HPI: 77.51
Rank: 19
Carl Sagan
1934 - 1996
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 20
Avempace
1080 - 1138
HPI: 75.62
Rank: 21
Aryabhata
476 - 550
HPI: 75.26
Rank: 22
Caroline Herschel
1750 - 1848
HPI: 75.21
Rank: 23
Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi
903 - 986
HPI: 75.12
Rank: 24
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
1943 - Present
HPI: 75.09
Rank: 25
Charles Messier
1730 - 1817
HPI: 75.05
Rank: 26
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1934, Carl Sagan ranks 14. Before him are Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, Albert II of Belgium, Gene Cernan, Maggie Smith, Richard Chamberlain, and Giorgio Armani. After him are Leonid Kravchuk, Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., Giovanni Battista Re, Nana Mouskouri, Judi Dench, and Jane Goodall. Among people deceased in 1996, Carl Sagan ranks 9. Before him are Marcello Mastroianni, Nevill Francis Mott, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Tupac Shakur, Tadeusz Reichstein, and Thomas Kuhn. After him are Gladwyn Jebb, Mohammad Najibullah, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Marguerite Duras, Dzhokhar Dudayev, and Frank Whittle.
Others Born in 1934
Go to all RankingsHenrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
NOBLEMAN
1934 - 2018
HPI: 78.58
Rank: 8
Albert II of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1934 - Present
HPI: 78.10
Rank: 9
Gene Cernan
ASTRONAUT
1934 - 2017
HPI: 78.05
Rank: 10
Maggie Smith
ACTOR
1934 - 2024
HPI: 77.94
Rank: 11
Richard Chamberlain
ACTOR
1934 - 2025
HPI: 77.12
Rank: 12
Giorgio Armani
DESIGNER
1934 - Present
HPI: 77.04
Rank: 13
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 14
Leonid Kravchuk
POLITICIAN
1934 - 2022
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 15
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1934 - 2012
HPI: 76.12
Rank: 16
Giovanni Battista Re
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.89
Rank: 17
Nana Mouskouri
SINGER
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.87
Rank: 18
Judi Dench
ACTOR
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.79
Rank: 19
Jane Goodall
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.73
Rank: 20
Others Deceased in 1996
Go to all RankingsMarcello Mastroianni
ACTOR
1924 - 1996
HPI: 80.21
Rank: 3
Nevill Francis Mott
PHYSICIST
1905 - 1996
HPI: 80.05
Rank: 4
Jean-Bédel Bokassa
POLITICIAN
1921 - 1996
HPI: 79.40
Rank: 5
Tupac Shakur
SINGER
1971 - 1996
HPI: 78.51
Rank: 6
Tadeusz Reichstein
CHEMIST
1897 - 1996
HPI: 77.04
Rank: 7
Thomas Kuhn
HISTORIAN
1922 - 1996
HPI: 76.91
Rank: 8
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 9
Gladwyn Jebb
POLITICIAN
1900 - 1996
HPI: 75.89
Rank: 10
Mohammad Najibullah
POLITICIAN
1947 - 1996
HPI: 75.28
Rank: 11
Krzysztof Kieślowski
FILM DIRECTOR
1941 - 1996
HPI: 75.06
Rank: 12
Marguerite Duras
WRITER
1914 - 1996
HPI: 74.83
Rank: 13
Dzhokhar Dudayev
POLITICIAN
1944 - 1996
HPI: 74.42
Rank: 14
Frank Whittle
INVENTOR
1907 - 1996
HPI: 74.32
Rank: 15
In United States
Among people born in United States, Carl Sagan ranks 285 out of 20,380. Before him are Ray Charles (1930), Fred Trump (1905), Jane Fonda (1937), Burt Lancaster (1913), Bill Paxton (1955), and James Buchanan (1791). After him are John Travolta (1954), Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803), Barry Barish (1936), Tony Curtis (1925), Val Kilmer (1959), and William Boeing (1881).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsRay Charles
MUSICIAN
1930 - 2004
HPI: 76.30
Rank: 279
Fred Trump
BUSINESSPERSON
1905 - 1999
HPI: 76.27
Rank: 280
Jane Fonda
ACTOR
1937 - Present
HPI: 76.25
Rank: 281
Burt Lancaster
ACTOR
1913 - 1994
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 282
Bill Paxton
ACTOR
1955 - 2017
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 283
James Buchanan
POLITICIAN
1791 - 1868
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 284
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 285
John Travolta
ACTOR
1954 - Present
HPI: 76.22
Rank: 286
Ralph Waldo Emerson
WRITER
1803 - 1882
HPI: 76.21
Rank: 287
Barry Barish
PHYSICIST
1936 - Present
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 288
Tony Curtis
ACTOR
1925 - 2010
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 289
Val Kilmer
ACTOR
1959 - 2025
HPI: 76.19
Rank: 290
William Boeing
BUSINESSPERSON
1881 - 1956
HPI: 76.19
Rank: 291
Among ASTRONOMERS In United States
Among astronomers born in United States, Carl Sagan ranks 3. Before him are Edwin Hubble (1889), and Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. (1941). After him are Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958), Charles Greeley Abbot (1872), Robert Woodrow Wilson (1936), Vesto Slipher (1875), Asaph Hall (1829), Clyde Tombaugh (1906), William Alfred Fowler (1911), Edward Emerson Barnard (1857), and Vera Rubin (1928).
Edwin Hubble
1889 - 1953
HPI: 78.45
Rank: 1
Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr.
1941 - Present
HPI: 77.51
Rank: 2
Carl Sagan
1934 - 1996
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 3
Neil deGrasse Tyson
1958 - Present
HPI: 74.94
Rank: 4
Charles Greeley Abbot
1872 - 1973
HPI: 74.64
Rank: 5
Robert Woodrow Wilson
1936 - Present
HPI: 73.41
Rank: 6
Vesto Slipher
1875 - 1969
HPI: 73.27
Rank: 7
Asaph Hall
1829 - 1907
HPI: 73.01
Rank: 8
Clyde Tombaugh
1906 - 1997
HPI: 72.42
Rank: 9
William Alfred Fowler
1911 - 1995
HPI: 71.45
Rank: 10
Edward Emerson Barnard
1857 - 1923
HPI: 70.64
Rank: 11
Vera Rubin
1928 - 2016
HPI: 70.42
Rank: 12