NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft captured “Pale Blue Dot,” one of the most iconic space photographs ever, 35 years ago on Valentine’s Day in 1990. The image shows Earth from six billion kilometers away, making it the most distant photo ever taken.
The historic moment was made possible by Carl Sagan, a late astronomer who advocated for the camera to be directed back to the planet. Voyager 1 launched into space in 1977 and captured the photo nearly 13 years later. The image has inspired numerous people with its significance and beauty.
Over the years, NASA has updated the image using improved digital processing techniques. A recent update was released in 2020 to celebrate the image’s 30th anniversary. Voyager 1 is still operational, moving away from Earth at over 38,000 miles per hour, and is currently nearly 15.5 billion miles away.
In addition to “Pale Blue Dot,” Voyager 1 also captured a series of images known as the “Solar System Family Portrait” in 1990, which included all six planets in our solar system. This image series is celebrating its 35th birthday today.
NASA’s exploration is about seeing our world in new and bigger ways, said Dr. Thomas H. Zurbuchen. The quote from Carl Sagan’s book “Pale Blue Dot” captures the significance of the photo: “Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.”
Source: https://petapixel.com/2025/02/14/iconic-pale-blue-dot-photo-most-distant-portrait-of-earth-turns-35