35 years ago, on September 5, 1977, the Voyager 1 space probe was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.The contraption’s mission: photograph and listen to the outer reaches of our Solar System. On the way it turned its camera over its shoulder and took a snapshot of Planet Earth, an insignificant pale blue dot. Astronomer Carl Sagan was so moved by that image that he wrote a book based on it.
Voyager 2 had actually been launched first, but Voyager 1 took the express route and reached PLANET first. At age 35, Voyager 1 is now about to lose sight of our blue dot, leaving the Solar System forever. Oh, one more thing: it’s still working.
More:
Voyager website, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
h/p: Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
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Video: Adam Winnik
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Tags: Adam Winnik, animation, NASA, Pale Blue Dot, Solar System, space, Voyager 1
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