---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now when we think that each of these…"
description: "\"Now when we think that each of these stars is probably the centre of a solar system grander than our own, we cannot seriously take ourselves to be the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg"
---

#  Now when we think that each of these stars is probably the…

![“Now when we think that each of these stars is probably the centre of a solar system grander than our own, we cannot seriously take ourselves to be the only minds in it all.” quote by Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg)

> “Now when we think that each of these stars is probably the centre of a solar system grander than our own, we cannot seriously take ourselves to be the only minds in it all.”

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Contemplating countless stars suggests many possible intelligences beyond Earth, challenging human uniqueness.

**In simple terms:** Many stars may host intelligent life, making humanity not alone.

Key Takeaway

Consider the vastness of the cosmos.

Themes

cosmology humility exploration

Mood

wonder reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- Astronomy research
- philosophical debates
- science education

Key Concepts

Astrobiology anthropic principle

Questions to Reflect On

- What would discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence change our self‑view?
- How do we balance curiosity with humility?

A Different Perspective

Assumes existence of life without evidence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Centre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centre/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minds/) [Seriously Minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriously-minds-2087785/) [Solar system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solar-system/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Stars Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars-probably-2087784/) [Think Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-stars-563844/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/)

## Related quotes

> [The last real movie stars were probably Redford and Newman. And things were different then. There wasn't this amazing amount of magazines and information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-last-real-movie-stars-were-probably-redford-and-newman-and-things/)

[George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/)

> [“I was six years old, watching my pregnant mother wash the dishes. Cutlery clinked, filling the air with sparkling bursts of colour. 'Do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-anderson/i-was-six-years-old-watching-my-pregnant-mother-wash-the-dishes/)

[R.J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-anderson/)

> [All my fighters know I'm a fan of theirs. They know I think of them as the stars and that we will facilitate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-coker/all-my-fighters-know-i-m-a-fan-of-theirs-they-know-i-think-of-them-as/)

[Scott Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-coker/)

> [There is no greater joy for me than looking at the sky on a clear night with an attention so concentrated that all my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/there-is-no-greater-joy-for-me-than-looking-at-the-sky-on-a-clear/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [My good friend once said, "You guys think you're the stars in your own movie."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-davis/my-good-friend-once-said-you-guys-think-you-re-the-stars-in-your-own/)

[Mackenzie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-davis/)

> [“There were moments, Hasan, when I like to think that the stars are bullet-holes. For every bullet shot by an oppressor there springs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamila-shamsie/there-were-moments-hasan-when-i-like-to-think-that-the-stars-are/)

[Kamila Shamsie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamila-shamsie/)

> ['Die a Happy Man' was one of those that, when I wrote it and sent it to my label, their response was, 'This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rhett/die-a-happy-man-was-one-of-those-that-when-i-wrote-it-and-sent-it-to/)

[Thomas Rhett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rhett/)

> [Honestly, I don't think we see ourselves as stars. That's what the media tags us as. I personally don't think too much about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dulquer-salmaan/honestly-i-don-t-think-we-see-ourselves-as-stars-that-s-what-the/)

[Dulquer Salmaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dulquer-salmaan/)

> [“When I was a child, I used to think that stars were souls. As I grew up, I understood that souls are stars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keenoo/when-i-was-a-child-i-used-to-think-that-stars-were-souls-as-i-grew-up/)

[Kevin Keenoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keenoo/)

> [There is no American history. There is no French history. There is no John Wideman. There are all these dreams that are floating around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/there-is-no-american-history-there-is-no-french-history-there-is-no/)

[John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/)

> [“Some people think the stars must look closer from up here. They don't. When you're up here, you realize how distant they really are—how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/some-people-think-the-stars-must-look-closer-from-up-here-they-don-t/)

[Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/)

> [“Someone asked me what home was, and all I could think of were the stars on the tip of your tongue, the flowers sprouting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-asked-me-what-home-was-and-all-i-could-think-of-were-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To think of these stars that you see overhead at night, these vast worlds which we can never reach. I would annex the planets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/to-think-of-these-stars-that-you-see-overhead-at-night-these-vast/)

[Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/)

> [“I can think of nothing but the stars. It is like a piece of my soul had been lost, empty, and it is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-revis/i-can-think-of-nothing-but-the-stars-it-is-like-a-piece-of-my-soul/)

[Beth Revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-revis/)

> [In L.A., the waiters think they're stars. Everybody's always trying to pretend that they see stars every day, so there tends to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaleel-white/in-l-a-the-waiters-think-they-re-stars-everybody-s-always-trying-to/)

[Jaleel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaleel-white/)

## More by Percival Lowell

> [If astronomy teaches anything, it teaches that man is but a detail in the evolution of the universe, and the resemblant though diverse details…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/if-astronomy-teaches-anything-it-teaches-that-man-is-but-a-detail-in/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Formulae are the anaesthetics of thought, not its stimulants and to make any one think is far better worth while than cramming him with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/formulae-are-the-anaesthetics-of-thought-not-its-stimulants-and-to/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Imagination is as vital to any advance in science as learning and precision are essential for starting points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/imagination-is-as-vital-to-any-advance-in-science-as-learning-and/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [War is a survival among us from savage times and affects now chiefly the boyish and unthinking element of the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/war-is-a-survival-among-us-from-savage-times-and-affects-now-chiefly/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [The whole object of science is to synthesize, and so simplify; and did we but know the uttermost of a subject we could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/the-whole-object-of-science-is-to-synthesize-and-so-simplify-and-did/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Ever since celestial mechanics in the skillful hands of Leverrier and Adams led to the world-amazed discovery of Neptune, a belief has existed begotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/ever-since-celestial-mechanics-in-the-skillful-hands-of-leverrier-and/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Are physical forces alone at work there, or has evolution begotten something more complex, something not akin to what we know on Earth as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/are-physical-forces-alone-at-work-there-or-has-evolution-begotten/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Imagination is as vital to any advance in science as learning and precision are essential for starting points. Let me warn you to beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/imagination-is-as-vital-to-any-advance-in-science-as-learning-and-2/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [That Mars is inhabited by beings of some sort or other we may consider as certain as it is uncertain what these beings may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/that-mars-is-inhabited-by-beings-of-some-sort-or-other-we-may/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [There are celestial sights more dazzling, spectacles that inspire more awe, but to the thoughtful observer who is privileged to see them well, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/there-are-celestial-sights-more-dazzling-spectacles-that-inspire-more/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Speculation has been singularly fruitful as to what these markings on our next to nearest neighbor in space may mean. Each astronomer holds a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/speculation-has-been-singularly-fruitful-as-to-what-these-markings-on/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [Bright points in the sky or a blow on the head will equally cause one to see stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/bright-points-in-the-sky-or-a-blow-on-the-head-will-equally-cause-one/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [ Irrigation, unscientifically conducted, would not give us such truly wonderful mathematical fitness \[as we observe in the Martian canals\]. . . . A mind… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/irrigation-unscientifically-conducted-would-not-give-us-such-truly/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

[Explore all 14 Percival Lowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

## More Astronomy quotes

> [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Wen daylight turns to a darkened hue, D lovely stars hinting at u, ur heart beat tells u something true, That some 1 badly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/wen-daylight-turns-to-a-darkened-hue-d-lovely-stars-hinting-at-u-ur/)

[Butterfly\_Kisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butterfly-kisses/)

> [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [“Sentinels of trees breathe life into bodies of earthly flesh As their mighty arms reach to the stars we join in their quest for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/sentinels-of-trees-breathe-life-into-bodies-of-earthly-flesh-as-their/)

[Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/)

> [“If there are no stars on the sky, you must try to be happy with the shining streetlights!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-are-no-stars-on-the-sky-you-must-try-to-be-happy-with-the/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/)

[Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/)

> [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/)

[Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/)

> [“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ... quote has been credited to Les Brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylviek/shoot-for-the-moon-even-if-you-miss-it-you-will-land-among-the-stars/)

[Sylviek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylviek/)

> [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/)

[Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/)

> [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

[Browse all 6,190 Astronomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Now when we think that each of these stars is probably the centre of a solar system grander than our own, we cannot seriously take ourselves to be the only minds in it all.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Percival Lowell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-stars-is-probably-the-centre-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Astronomy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-stars-is-probably-the-centre-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/percival-lowell-34086_astronomy_now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-sta_199670.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Now when we think that each of these stars is probably the centre of a solar system grander than our own, we…” — Percival Lowell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Percival Lowell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Now when we think that each...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-stars-is-probably-the-centre-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/now-when-we-think-that-each-of-these-stars-is-probably-the-centre-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
