Photo Of Planet Earth!

[blulok]

When the Voyager finally left our solar system, it took a very poignant picture as it 'looked back' which showed the Earth as a tiny, tiny blue dot..... has this photo been made available to buy?.....many thanks.

[Kidas]

It was called 'pale Blue Dot' taken in September 1996.

The story is here:
https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/voyager/pale-blue-dot-images-turn-25

You can download a fairly low-resolution image (450 x 600) here: https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA00452.jpg

I'm not sure it is available in any other size, as the 'Pale Blue Dot' is less than half of one pixel, and in a bigger image, would simply disappear.

[blulok]

Thank you 'Kidas'....I'm sure if I get any other answers they will tell me the same, but I will look at the links you suggested...helps to put life into some sort of perspective!

[bookbinder]

Here is a selection of NASA photos. Perhaps the photo that you're looking for is among them:
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html

[Kidas]

Turns out it was taken February 14, 1990 but only uploaded to the JPL website in 1996.

It's part of a much bigger project photographing the whole solar system, so there may be larger images out there, but the Earth will not be bogger than 0.12 pixels - that's the best resolution the cameras could get from that distance.

[Kidas]

Here's a bigger image, showing more background...

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/540616main_pia00452-43_full.jpg

[blulok]

thanks all.

[Pyxis]

I just had a look at those links........... seeing that tiny wee dot made me feel quite sad, with a sense of loss, for some reason, as if I were leaving Earth on the spaceship, and any minute now the dot would disappear....................


(Probably been watching too many sci-fi films!)

[blulok]

yes, exactly....makes you realise how insignificant we are and that we seem, at least, to be very alone!