Definition of «pale blue dot»

The phrase "pale blue dot" is a term used to describe Earth as seen from space. It was coined by Carl Sagan, an American astronomer and science communicator, in his book "Contact." In the novel, Dr. Eleanor Arroway, the protagonist, receives a message from extraterrestrial beings that contains a description of our planet:

"Pale blue dot," they said, "that's all you are. A mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."

Sentences with «pale blue dot»

Simple chemistry shows these gases should not co-exist for long, and yet on Earth they do, offering a clear sign for any watchful alien astronomers that something lives and breathes on this particular pale blue dot. (scientificamerican.com)
When astronomers get their picture of a distant pale blue dot, after all, they will want to know whether they're staring at another Earth. (sciencemag.org)
The name of the Pale Red Dot campaign was inspired by the famous pale blue dot image of the Earth, taken in 1990 by Voyager 1 on its way to interstellar space. (earthsky.org)
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