The Day the Earth Smiled
Photographer: NASA/JPL (Cassini)
Date: July 19, 2013
Location: Saturn orbit
NASA's Cassini spacecraft, orbiting Saturn, captured this photograph on July 19, 2013, as Saturn eclipsed the Sun, allowing Cassini's camera to look back toward the inner solar system. Earth appears as a tiny blue dot in the lower right of the image, 1.44 billion kilometers away. It was only the third time Earth had been photographed from the outer solar system. Uniquely, NASA and JPL announced the photograph in advance, inviting people around the world to 'wave at Saturn' at a specific time. Approximately 20,000 people sent in their photographs from the event. Cassini scientist Carolyn Porco, inspired by Carl Sagan's 'Pale Blue Dot,' organized the event. The full mosaic — composed of 141 wide-angle images — shows Saturn, its rings, and several of its moons.
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