As Voyager headed into interstellar space in August 2012, having been launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, to explore and photograph Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, discovering volcanic activity on one of its moons, Cornell's legendary Carl Sagan asked the U.S. government to photograph the solar system from the perspective of its outer rim. Scientists were taken by surprise to observe Earth swaddled in a thick ray of light emitted from the Sun, extending like a radius to the circumference. Is this discovery early signs of a pivotal moment in the Sun's development spanning billions of years, progressing from the main sequence toward the next phase in the life of the Solar System? --------------------------------------------
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The Farthest -- Voyager in Space
Special | 1h 37m 13s
Launched in 1977, NASA’s epic Voyager missions revolutionized our understanding of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and their spectacular moons and rings. In 2012, Voyager 1 left our solar system and ushered humanity into the interstellar age.
Aired: 08/23/17
Expires: 08/14/19
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At the end of "The Farthest - Voyager in Space," Carl Sagan points to the photograph of Earth as viewed from Neptune and tells his lecture audience he is indicating "Earth in a sunbeam" and to indicate he knows they are unable to see the image, he adds, "We live on a blue dot." Photographs Moon Solar System Sun