'Pale Blue Dot' Revisited (nasa.gov) 25
cusco shares a report: For the 30th anniversary of one of the most iconic views from the Voyager mission, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is publishing a new version of the image known as the "Pale Blue Dot." The updated image uses modern image-processing software and techniques while respecting the intent of those who planned the image. Like the original, the new color view shows Planet Earth as a single, bright blue pixel in the vastness of space. Rays of sunlight scattered within the camera optics stretch across the scene, one of which happens to have intersected dramatically with Earth.
The view was obtained on Feb. 14, 1990, just minutes before Voyager 1's cameras were intentionally powered off to conserve power and because the probe -- along with its sibling, Voyager 2 -- would not make close flybys of any other objects during their lifetimes. Shutting down instruments and other systems on the two Voyager spacecraft has been a gradual and ongoing process that has helped enable their longevity. This celebrated Voyager 1 view was part of a series of 60 images designed to produce what the mission called the "Family Portrait of the Solar System." This sequence of camera-pointing commands returned images of six of the solar system's planets, as well as the Sun. The Pale Blue Dot view was created using the color images Voyager took of Earth. Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco shared the story behind the idea of Pale Blue Dot picture on Neil deGrasse Tyson's video podcast "Star Talk" last year. It's fascinating -- watch from 51:05 seconds and hang around for 13 minutes. Also the famous video where Carl Sagan describes the Pale Blue Dot. An interview he did on the subject later.
The view was obtained on Feb. 14, 1990, just minutes before Voyager 1's cameras were intentionally powered off to conserve power and because the probe -- along with its sibling, Voyager 2 -- would not make close flybys of any other objects during their lifetimes. Shutting down instruments and other systems on the two Voyager spacecraft has been a gradual and ongoing process that has helped enable their longevity. This celebrated Voyager 1 view was part of a series of 60 images designed to produce what the mission called the "Family Portrait of the Solar System." This sequence of camera-pointing commands returned images of six of the solar system's planets, as well as the Sun. The Pale Blue Dot view was created using the color images Voyager took of Earth. Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco shared the story behind the idea of Pale Blue Dot picture on Neil deGrasse Tyson's video podcast "Star Talk" last year. It's fascinating -- watch from 51:05 seconds and hang around for 13 minutes. Also the famous video where Carl Sagan describes the Pale Blue Dot. An interview he did on the subject later.
Picture of everyone (Score:2)
Re:Picture of everyone (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
If people occulted by the Earth don't count as showing, then neither should people occulted by buildings, vehicles and foliage, so then you're down to far less than half of everyone.
I prefer the closeup from 10 years prior (Score:4, Informative)
I prefer the closeup from 10 years prior.. but not shot by a spacecraft, it was shot by a man with a mechanical camera with real film in it.
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedi... [nasa.gov]
Still, I really like they had the presence of mind to snap one last shot from v'ger before they shut her cameras down.
Re: (Score:1)
The Stupid! It Burns!
I can see why you post as AC.
Re: (Score:2)
Probably a troll. If he's serioujs, then yes, he's very stupid, but most probably a troll.
Re: (Score:2)
It's been repeatedly proven that the moon landings were faked...
That's what they want you to think.
Re: (Score:2)
That's not a picture from a moon landing anyway.
Re: (Score:3)
The "Pale Blue Dot" image proves that the Earth is square in shape. Time Cube was right!
Re: (Score:2)
Bigfoot doesn't believe in you either.
Re: I prefer the closeup from 10 years prior (Score:2)
Pff, only if you believe in so called âoescienceâ is that real!
Interviews with Carolyn Porco, Garry Hunt and Alan (Score:4, Insightful)
Interviews, with Carolyn Porco, Garry Hunt and Alan Stern at The Register [theregister.co.uk]
Flat earthers, staged moon landing conspiracy folk (Score:1)
Bloody video. (Score:2)
Can you warn someone when you post a Youtube link which autostarts mid sentence!
I prefer the original (Score:3)
Just like I prefer to see the grain in classic film, I like the version of this that looks like it was shot by something from its time.
It is a slick piece of work, to be sure. But if I were printing one of them, it would not be the new one.
Technical details (Score:3)
The updated image uses modern image-processing software and techniques while respecting the intent of those who planned the image.
Here's how they enhanced the photo: They loaded it into Gimp, then they used the pencil tool to change the blue pixel from a rather drab #67a2a7 to a more pleasing #63dde8.
Re: (Score:1)
Gimp? Oh I think not.
Blue Dot photo taken in 1990.
GIMP started development in 1995.
Are you suggesting that NASA delayed the publication of the image for way over 5 years? Or are you just ignorant of history.
Stupid Millennial.
Re: (Score:2)
You do realize that this article is talking about a *new* version of the image?
To help you out, here's the first sentence of the summary at the top of this page:
For the 30th anniversary of one of the most iconic views from the Voyager mission, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is publishing a new version of the image known as the "Pale Blue Dot."
The actual picture (Score:5, Informative)
Great tease, but nowhere is the URL of the *actual* (enhanced) picture shown.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/space... [nasa.gov]
There, fixed that for you...
Re: (Score:2)
Your UID is low enough that surely by now you should have understood not to expect any actual editing to have been done by the editors.
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It's at the top of the page of the very first link. Easy to miss, I posted it with the full URL, the editors shortened it to "shares a report".
Climate Change (Score:2)