Pale Blue Dot

It was 1977 when NASA launched Voyager 1, a small robotic spacecraft tasked with the mission of investigating our Solar System’s two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn. It took 18 months for the Voyager to get to Jupiter and another 18 to arrive at Saturn but eventually on November 20th 1980 NASA declared the Voyager’s primary mission a complete success presenting some the of most detailed images and data of the two planets at the time. While the engineers popped corks, the almost 1600 pound probe continued to sail out of our solar system with an uncertain future. Many believed the craft would soon run out of power and stop communicating with earth however, much like many of us, the Voyager pushed on and now in April 2016 the probe is approaching is 39th year of continuous operation.

What is to be done with a scientific camera interplanetary bullet refusing to die? Shortly after mission completion Carl Sagan suggested the probe take one last picture of Earth but he was swiftly dismissed by NASA. The engineers believed that the picture would require a lot of preparation and work for something of no scientific value. Furthermore, many doubted whether the photo would be even achievable as the sun’s light might make the entire photo glare beams or worse, damage the spacecraft’s sensitive video system.

It was 10 years later in 1990 that NASA Administrator, Richard Truly pressed the issue to ensure the photo would be achieved. I think he, like Sagan, understood the greater purpose the photo would have. And it was on February 14th, 1990 that my favorite photo, this photo, was taken by Voyager 1. A first glance it looks as if the critics were correct that the photographic result would be nothing. Nevertheless, approximately half way down the brown band on the right, subtly and forgettably lies a pale blue dot: Earth.

Some people tell me that pictures like this make the feel small or insignificant but for me it’s very different. There is no piece of art, literature, emotion, religion or scientific discovery that put the human experience in perspective like this photo. It helps me to remember that every war, every person I know and have ever known, every problem and every solution can and does exist on a pixel in my computer. This picture reminds me that we are all in this together on a vessel that isn’t as big as it feels and needs protecting. The problems we have on this planet need to and can be worked through because we, as humans, have a beautiful home.