Pale Blue Dot

Pale Blue Dot has to be one of my absolutly favorite photographs produced. It was taken in 1990 6 billion kilometers That is a 6 with nine zeroes or about 41 times the distance between the earth and the sun (astronomical unit) away from Earth by the Voyager 1 spaceprobe and is (to the best of my knowledge) the farthest photograph we have ever taken from Earth. It is a prime example for the gianormous scale of the world outside our own, as Earth does not even cover a full pixel of the image. It has happend countless times that I look at the image trying to find Earth and accidently mistaking it for a spec of dust on my monitor. This unimaginable difference in scale between our planet and deep space, combined with the rainbow-like shimmer produced by the Sun's light and the static snow caused by the noise, act as a beautifull memento for our tiny role in the cosmic play that is this universe.

The Voyager missions hold a special significance to me for showcasing the absurdity of mankinds percieved significance with a single image. With the initial goal to study Jupiter and Saturn the Voyager 1 and 2 probes have pushed their capabilities multiple times. In the process they have become the first human objects to leap beyond the borders of our solar system and into interstellar space. This must be one of the truest forms of loneliness a chunk of electronics can expirience.

As of 2024 Voyager 1 is traveling with a velocity of 17km/s and at a distance of 20,439,100,000km 162 ASTRONOMICAL UNITS !1!! away from the sun. The craziest part is that despite these enormous distances and a roundtrip time of about 45 hours, the damn thing still got a fucking software update.

Sadly this powerhouse of a probe will reach its limits. Estimates say that around 2032 the plutonium powered thermoelectric generators will no longer be able to supply the current needed by the communication instruments :(. But that is fine; at least for a brief moment of eternity the Voyager probes will be remebered by someone standing on the pale blue dot we call our home.