Earth: The Lone Pale Blue Dot?

PhysOrg ^ | November 2, 2006 | Whitney Clavin, NASA

[SunkenCiv]

A recent photo from the Cassini spacecraft shows the mighty planet Saturn, and if you look very closely between its wing-like rings, a faint pinprick of light. That tiny dot is Earth bustling with life as we know it. The image is the second ever taken of our world from deep space. The first, captured by the Voyager spacecraft in 1990, stunned many people... Last September, a portion of Cassini's picture showing Earth was unveiled to an auditorium full of scientists attending the third Pale Blue Dot workshop at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. The workshop brought together scientists from across the country and beyond to talk about how to find life elsewhere in our universe, a central theme in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. When the workshop participants were presented with the picture, they spontaneously began to clap. One of their fundamental goals is to capture a portrait like Cassini's showing another "pale blue dot" like Earth in a planetary system beyond our own.

[SunkenCiv]

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What's that pale blue dot in this image taken from Saturn? Earth. The robotic Cassini spacecraft looked back toward its old home world earlier this month as it orbited Saturn. Using Saturn itself to block the bright Sun, Cassini imaged a faint dot on the right of the above photograph. That dot is expanded on the image inset, where a slight elongation in the direction of Earth's Moon is visible. Vast water oceans make Earth's reflection of sunlight somewhat blue. Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA

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[SunkenCiv]

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A view of Earth from Voyager 1, at a distance of more than 4 billion miles. Earth is the dot in the middle of the bright streak. Image credit: NASA/JPL

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[SunkenCiv]

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[Dog Gone]

awesome!

[RightWhale]

Earth has life. That should be a starting point for discussion. Whether there is life elsewhere is open for discussion. Whether another planet exists that allows life to reach the humble heights of our own intelligent selves is also open for discussion.

[silverleaf]

space picture save!

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks so much for posting that!

[SunkenCiv]

You're welcome.

[KevinDavis]

Earth: One of many pale blue dots in this universe...

[Hawk1976]

It doesn't matter whether or not there is other life out there. Our job is to get out there and explore and exploit resources to the best of our abilities.

If there is any other life out there, we will have to cross that bridge whwen we find it.

[RightWhale]

I have said much the same thing many times. Sometimes I add that the goal of NASA should not be the Search for Life, and I add that because the Search for Life is often at the top of the list of NASA's justifications for a given space project.

[kanawa]

From a previous Voyager thread...

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, as long as it doesn't return with enhancements and try to talk to the people who sent it, I'm good. ;')

[free_at_jsl.com]

Much better (and higher resolution) photo with the sun behind (all of) Saturn.

[Redcloak]

The dial-up folks are gonna be steamed at you. (Not that I care; I'm on DSL.)

[SunkenCiv]

Cropping is always a good idea. :')

[sig226]

Please put me on the space ping list.