The earliest humans were perplexed by the stars and they attached meanings to them in an attempt to understand their significance. In this installment of the series Cosmos, Carl Sagan examines these early endeavors to comprehend the night sky.

The stars were thought to be campfires in the heavens, and the great expanse of stars known as the Milky Way was the "backbone of the night." Dr. Sagan goes back to his childhood elementary school where the question "What are stars?" is the subject of discussion.

Part 7/13

Other episodes:

Episode 1: The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-1-The-Shores-of-the-Cosmic-Ocean
Episode 2: One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-2-One-Voice-in-the-Cosmic-Fugue
Episode 3: The Harmony of the Worlds
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-3-The-Harmony-of-the-Worlds
Episode 4: Heaven and Hell
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-4-Heaven-and-Hell
Episode 5: Blues for a Red Planet
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-5-Blues-for-a-Red-Planet
Episode 6: Travellers' Tales
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-6-Travellers-Tales
Episode 8: Journeys in Space and Time
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-8-Journeys-in-Space-and-Time
Episode 9: The Lives of the Stars
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-9-The-Lives-of-the-Stars
Episode 10: The Edge of Forever
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-10-The-Edge-of-Forever
Episode 11: The Persistence of Memory
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-11-The-Persistence-of-Memory
Episode 12: Encyclopedia Galactica
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-12-Encyclopedia-Galactica
Episode 13: Who Speaks for Earth?
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Cosmos-13-Who-Speaks-for-Earth
Interview with Carl Sagan
http://www.videosift.com/video/Carl-Sagan-Interview-1989