--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Astronomy defined our home as a small…" description: "\"“Astronomy defined our home as a small planet tucked away in one corner of an average galaxy among million; biology took away our status as paragons cr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg" --- # Astronomy defined our home as a small planet tucked away… ![“Astronomy defined our home as a small planet tucked away in one corner of an average galaxy among million; biology took away our status as paragons created in the image of God; geology gave us the immensity of time and taught us how little of it our own species has occupied.” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg) > ““Astronomy defined our home as a small planet tucked away in one corner of an average galaxy among million; biology took away our status as paragons created in the image of God; geology gave us the immensity of time and taught us how little of it our own species has occupied.”” [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science reshapes humanity’s self‑image, revealing humility in our cosmic and temporal place. **In simple terms:** Science humbles human ego. Key Takeaway Embrace humility in knowledge. Themes science humility cosmos time humanity Mood inquisitive humble Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - education - public talks - museum exhibits - personal reflection Key Concepts astronomy biology geology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does new knowledge affect your self‑view? - What responsibilities arise from this humility? A Different Perspective Scientific discoveries can challenge deeply held beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Human species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-species/) [Natural history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-history/) ## Related quotes > [Each of the major sciences has contributed an essential ingredient in our long retreat from an initial belief in our own cosmic importance. Astronomy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/each-of-the-major-sciences-has-contributed-an-essential-ingredient-in/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [“Geology gave us the immensity of time and taught us how little of it our own species has occupied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/geology-gave-us-the-immensity-of-time-and-taught-us-how-little-of-it/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [If we looked down at the world from space, we would not see any demarcations of national boundaries. We would simply see one small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-we-looked-down-at-the-world-from-space-we-would-not-see-any/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I wrote a piece from North Korea called Visit to a Small Planet which is a line I stole from a play of Gore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-wrote-a-piece-from-north-korea-called-visit-to-a-small-planet-which/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Centuries hence, when current social and political problems may seem as remote as the problems of the Thirty Years' War are to us, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/centuries-hence-when-current-social-and-political-problems-may-seem/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We've moved from a small world on a big planet to a big world on a small planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/we-ve-moved-from-a-small-world-on-a-big-planet-to-a-big-world-on-a/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Which aspects of our nature will prevail is uncertain, particularly when our visions and prospects are bound to one small part of the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/which-aspects-of-our-nature-will-prevail-is-uncertain-particularly/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [From a large planet of overwhelming magnitude, unlimited resources and endless mystery, the Earth has suddenly become a small planet, thoroughly explored, limited in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/from-a-large-planet-of-overwhelming-magnitude-unlimited-resources-and/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [A pygmy standing on the outward crust of this small planet, his far-reaching spirit stretches outward to the infinite, and there alone finds rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/a-pygmy-standing-on-the-outward-crust-of-this-small-planet-his-far/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [On a small planet, where minute follows minute, day follows day, year follows year, where tradition marches on with a deafening, orderly beat -sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-e-pearson/on-a-small-planet-where-minute-follows-minute-day-follows-day-year/) [Mary E. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-e-pearson/) > [For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/for-in-the-final-analysis-our-most-basic-common-link-is-that-we-all/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [The life that we see on our small planet is not necessarily a great reflection of the entire universe. The people are beautiful, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-life-that-we-see-on-our-small-planet-is-not-necessarily-a-great/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/in-the-final-analysis-our-most-basic-common-link-is-that-we-all/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“Every good operative knows that the world is small, but the planet is big.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/every-good-operative-knows-that-the-world-is-small-but-the-planet-is/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [You'd chosen to be an upright biped on the surface of a small planet of a minor sun on the edge of a minor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/you-d-chosen-to-be-an-upright-biped-on-the-surface-of-a-small-planet/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) ## More by Stephen Jay Gould > [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [In his anti-Darwinian book... (and eponymously named The Neck of the Giraffe ), Francis Hitching tells the story... "The need to survive by reaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-his-anti-darwinian-book-and-eponymously-named-the-neck-of-the/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [... many folks take them seriously because they just 'know' that evolution can never be seen in the immediate here and now. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/many-folks-take-them-seriously-because-they-just-know-that-evolution/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Charles Darwin viewed the fossil record more as an embarrassment than as an aid to his theory ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/charles-darwin-viewed-the-fossil-record-more-as-an-embarrassment-than/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Zoocentrism is the primary fallacy of human sociobiology, for this view of human behavior rests on the argument that if the actions of "lower"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/zoocentrism-is-the-primary-fallacy-of-human-sociobiology-for-this/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The world, unfortunately, rarely matches our hopes and consistently refuses to behave in a reasonable manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-world-unfortunately-rarely-matches-our-hopes-and-consistently/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The true beauty of nature is her amplitude; she exists neither for nor because of us, and possesses a staying power that all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-true-beauty-of-nature-is-her-amplitude-she-exists-neither-for-nor/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [With copious evidence ranging from Plato's haughtiness to Beethoven's tirades, we may conclude that the most brilliant people of history tend to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/with-copious-evidence-ranging-from-plato-s-haughtiness-to-beethoven-s/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [When scientists need to explain difficult points of theory, illustration by hypothetical example - rather than by total abstraction - works well (perhaps indispensably)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/when-scientists-need-to-explain-difficult-points-of-theory/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The truly awesome intellectuals in our history have not merely made discoveries; they have woven variegated, but firm, tapestries of comprehensive coverage. The tapestries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-truly-awesome-intellectuals-in-our-history-have-not-merely-made/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Science simply cannot adjudicate the issue of God's possible superintendence of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/science-simply-cannot-adjudicate-the-issue-of-god-s-possible/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [But if we laugh with derision, we will never understand. Human intellectual capacity has not altered for thousands of years so far as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/but-if-we-laugh-with-derision-we-will-never-understand-human/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [We debase the richness of both nature and our own minds if we view the great pageant of our intellectual history as a compendium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/we-debase-the-richness-of-both-nature-and-our-own-minds-if-we-view/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) [Explore all 341 Stephen Jay Gould quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## 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 > [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 > [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 > [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": "“Astronomy defined our home as a small planet tucked away in one corner of an average galaxy among million; biology took away our status as paragons created in the image of God; geology gave us the immensity of time and taught us how little of it our own species has occupied.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Jay Gould" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-planet-tucked-away-in-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Astronomy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-planet-tucked-away-in-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/stephen-jay-gould-885_astronomy_astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-pl_1696401.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Astronomy defined our home as a small planet tucked away in one corner of an average galaxy among million…” — Stephen Jay Gould", "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": "Stephen Jay Gould", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Astronomy defined our home as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-planet-tucked-away-in-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/astronomy-defined-our-home-as-a-small-planet-tucked-away-in-one/#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 } } ] } ```