pale blue dot photograph planet earth taken february voyager space probe record distance billion kilometers billion miles family portrait series images solar system photograph earth apparent size planet appears tiny dot space bands sunlight scattered camera voyager completed primary mission leaving solar system commanded nasa turn camera photograph earth great space request author background september nasa launched voyager kilogram robotic spacecraft mission study outer solar system eventually space encountering system system primary mission declared complete november year voyager space probe provide detailed images largest planets major spacecraft travelling miles hour man object earth leave solar system mission extended continues day aim investigating boundaries solar system including belt space operating years months days today july receives routine commands data voyager initially expected work saturn encounter spacecraft passed planet proposed idea space probe taking picture earth pointed picture scientific value earth appear small voyager cameras detail meaningful perspective place universe nasa voyager program supportive idea doubts taking picture earth close sun damaging spacecraft imaging system idea practice instrument delayed process personnel devised transmitted radio commands voyager laid transferred projects finally nasa administrator ensure photograph taken camera voyager imaging science disabled consisted cameras focal length low resolution wide angle camera extended imaging high resolution narrow angle camera took intended detailed imaging specific targets cameras slow scan tube type fitted colored filters mounted filter wheel placed tube challenge nasa imaging team mission progressed objects photographed getting farther away spacecraft appearing requiring longer cameras achieve good quality capability decreased distance limiting number data modes imaging system taking family portrait series images included nasa mission managers commanded voyager power cameras spacecraft going fly near significance rest mission instruments collecting data needed power long journey space photograph design command sequence relayed spacecraft calculations photograph exposure time developed space scientists nasa planned imaging sequence taken february data camera stored initially board tape recorder transmission earth delayed missions given priority use march voyager returned frames earth radio signal travelling speed light nearly half hours cover distance frames received showed earth tiny point light space frame taken different color filter blue green violet exposure times seconds respectively frames produce image individual compose frame earth takes according nasa light bands photograph artifact result sunlight scattering parts camera relative proximity sun earth voyager point view approximately detailed analysis suggested camera detected moon faint visible special processing pale blue color dot result scattering light reflected earth turn depends factors cloud cover exposed areas oceans forests snow fields etc taken narrow angle camera published composite picture created wide angle camera photograph showing sun region space containing earth venus wide angle image narrow angle pictures similar photograph venus wide angle photograph taken filter absorption band shortest possible exposure avoid camera tube scattered sunlight result bright burned image multiple reflections camera sun appears far larger actual dimension solar disk rays sun pattern lamp mounted wide angle lens distance according nasa tool distances voyager earth february follows reflections public lecture held october presented image audience shared reflections deeper meaning idea pale blue dot succeeded taking picture look dot home heard human lived lived lives aggregate thousands confident religions economic doctrines hunter hero creator destroyer king peasant young couple love hopeful child mother father inventor explorer teacher morals corrupt politician superstar supreme leader saint history species lived dust suspended earth small stage vast cosmic arena think rivers blood generals emperors glory triumph masters fraction dot think endless visited inhabitants corner dot scarcely distinguishable inhabitants corner dot frequent eager kill imagined self importance privileged position universe challenged point pale light mind better demonstration human distant image tiny world responsibility deal preserve pale blue dot home known titled book vision human future space photograph
Pale Blue Dot