The Brightest Names in Planetary Exploration Gather To Honor the Scientist's "60th Trip Around the Sun."

On October 13 and 14, 1994, scientists, diplomats, journalists and artists gathered at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, for a unique astronomy and space sciences symposium. The event--Cornell's tribute to Carl Sagan's work in science, education and public policy--was organized for Planetary Society President Carl Sagan's 60th birthday, or, as symposium planners stated, his "60th trip around the Sun." (His actual birthday is November 9.)

Among the speakers were NASA Associate Administrator Wesley Huntress, Jr., Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Edward Stone and Planetary Society Advisor Roald Sagdeev, formerly of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Speakers praised Sagan's contributions and assessed the progress and goals of planetary science. Sagdeev lauded Sagan for alerting Russian scientists and political leaders to the dangers of nuclear winter, and former presidential science advisor Frank Press of the Carnegie Instit ution spoke on science and the social conscience. Bruce Murray of The Planetary Society spoke about Mars exploration, and Paul Horowitz of Harvard University discussed the Society's search for extraterrestrial intelligence. And Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Philip Morrison delivered an eloquent speech about science education in a democracy.

JPL scientist Eleanor Helin and Society Executive Director Louis Friedman presented the symposium's honoree with a plaque commemorating the naming of two asteroids circling the Sun in a companion orbit--4970 Druyan and 2709 Sagan--for Sagan and his wife, science writer and producer Ann Druyan. Asteroid Druyan was specifically named in honor of Sagan's birthday. (As the discoverer of the asteroids, Helin has the righ t to name them.)

Sagan himself discussed the Age of Exploration-along the lines of his new book, Pale Blue Dot. He focused on human self-centeredness, from early beliefs that Earth was the center of the universe to modern-day beliefs that it is the only planet that supports life. Referring to a Voyager photograph--a backward look at the solar system--he noted a small blue dot: "There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world," he said. "To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preser ve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

The Planetary Society's New Millennium Committee cosponsored the event. The Committee is the group of donors to the Society whose contributions fund long-range projects with results intended for the 21st century.