Nearly two years ago, the Library of Congress acquired some 800 boxes of books, letters, notes, videos, and other items that belonged to late American astronomer and author Carl Sagan. Now much that massive collection — which was donated by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane — can be found online as part of a new online archive. Librarians have split it up into three sections encompassing models of the cosmos, life on other worlds, and Sagan’s life and works. The originals of all those items were put up for public display last November, though required visiting the library in person.
Massive Carl Sagan archive posted by Library of Congress
Letters, notes, and videos
The online collection comes as Sagan’s Cosmos: A Personal Voyage television series from 1980 makes a return. A 13-part Cosmos reboot airs next month, hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and is being produced by Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan. A letter from Sagan to Tyson (dated 1976) is actually part of the Library of Congress collection, with Sagan (then a Cornell professor) congratulating a young Tyson on being admitted to Harvard, adding that he thought Tyson would do “exceedingly well” there. Tyson had written Sagan earlier to announce his choice of schools, which he said was based on Harvard’s larger astronomy department.
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