The 'Pale Blue Dot' is one of the most popular and iconic photos of Earth. Taken on February 14, 1990 by the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) camera onboard the Voyager spacecraft, the photo shows Earth as a tiny dot in the center of the vast universe.
In 2020, commemorating 3 decades of taking the photo, NASA re-created it using modern software. As a result, the photo looks clearer with the Earth still looking very tiny, alone in the vastness of the universe. There are lines that are reflections of sunlight.
The Pale Blue Dot was taken from about 6 billion kilometers from Earth at the request of author Carl Sagan. This is the last photo taken by Voyager before its camera system was shut down to conserve power.
Voyager has now explored all the planets in the Solar System and continues to pass at speeds reaching 64,000 kilometers per hour. "Look at that photo one more time. That's home. That's us," reads one Pale Blue Dot caption.
Garry Hunt as one of the Voyager team said the photo is now more relevant than ever before. That the small Earth must be protected from various threats, especially from climate change that lurks.
"Every time I talk about climate change and what is being done to make a difference, I show this picture because it shows the Earth is an isolated speck," he said.
"This little blue dot, the pale blue dot, is the only place we're allowed to live and we've messed with it," Garry said.