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"Pale Blue Dot", the famous photo of Earth taken by Voyager I, digitally remastered by NASA for 30th anniversary
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I love Carl Sagan, and that passage has always given me chills. It reminds me how insignificant we are, how big the universe is, and that our existence and all of the histories that we have ever known are condensed into that small dot. Both images are beautiful, though I think I'd prefer the original since the darker colors make it more somber (and it's the original).
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OP
Anyone who loves that passage needs to go buy the book Pale Blue Dot immediately.
It has a surprising amount of philosophy and when I was reading I realized that Sagan basically elucidated my own worldview. Someone called Sagan a modern prophet--I'm inclined to agree, because his writing showed me what religious writing one believes in must feel like.
I ended up not finishing it, but it's my favorite nonfiction book of all time
It has a surprising amount of philosophy and when I was reading I realized that Sagan basically elucidated my own worldview. Someone called Sagan a modern prophet--I'm inclined to agree, because his writing showed me what religious writing one believes in must feel like.
I ended up not finishing it, but it's my favorite nonfiction book of all time
I like the OG because the pale blue dot is more vibrant.
But man the streaks in the remaster looks so colorful, if the blue dot was more blue I'd love it so much more than the OG.
But man the streaks in the remaster looks so colorful, if the blue dot was more blue I'd love it so much more than the OG.
I like both. Although the new gives me a more hopefull feeling. But both are incredible images.
But, but, profits, shareholders, wealth.
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I like the remaster. A sea of blue, and we're just one slightly brighter blue pixel than the rest. The lessened color contrast emphasizes the feeling of our insignificance, makes us stand out even less in the unthinkable vastness.
I prefer the original, the image carries more resonance to me personally if the bright white dot that is the Earth is juxtaposed on a cold, dark background.
Actually I might like this interpretation better.
Actually I might like this interpretation better.
So NASA finally shows proof. A dot is flat. It's not a Pale Blue Ball. And it's obviously sitting on flat ribbon of firmament, bathed in the chilly blue ice rays of the moon. And they deliberately flew too far away to capture details like the ice wall circumference. They want to keep the flow of Airline-collaboration money flowing into the Big (((Spheroid))) fallacy.
I think this is the most important photograph ever taken. It should be shown to every student in every class across the planet.
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I'm very used to thinking about scales far vaster than those in this photo, and your post still managed to fuck me up a little. Holy shit
It's interesting to see reactions to that quote. It can either be (as it seems to mostly be here) uplifting or inspiring, or straight nihilism. One can read it as Sagan does; "be kind on our small home." Or read that first paragraph and get "none of it matters." If we blew ourselves up tomorrow, no one would be left to know or care.
I'm no such nihilist, but it's a fair read of the passage.
I'm no such nihilist, but it's a fair read of the passage.
But arent both reads the point? This little speck of wonder could disappear and no outsider would likely miss it. At the same time, it is a marvel and we are the custodians of it. We are here, we can care and we can know both what we have and what we have lost.
Personally I like the original as it seems more solemn and lonely. The remaster looks too clean and the rays seem to overpower the subtlety of the shot.
OP
OP
If you search around (go to the planet photojournal I think?) you can find a full size .tiff file for the original and the remaster
Been meaning to post this (I have on social media when the photo was more trending):
Seeing this image and reading the Sagan passages lead me down a path trying to find the source of some of the samples at the beginning of the song Lif by Horse the Band:
There are parts from Apollo 8 and references to the Earthrise photo but I haven't found everything but my journey reading and watching docs on Apollo 8 was well worth it. Figured I'd share the song as it makes for a nice soundscape while browsing these images (they're a fav band of mine). This song is not as abrasive as what they're known for. It's more of an album closer instrumental that is meant to be like a fly through of the album in reverse order by way of featuring samples used throughout the album as the track before it dealt with space/time travel and a black hole (also a great track that starts aggressive and then the second half is a powerful, progressive instrumental jam that crescendos into the previously posted track)
I'll share that too while I'm here (it's basically Interstellar in post-hardcore form lol):
Seeing this image and reading the Sagan passages lead me down a path trying to find the source of some of the samples at the beginning of the song Lif by Horse the Band:
There are parts from Apollo 8 and references to the Earthrise photo but I haven't found everything but my journey reading and watching docs on Apollo 8 was well worth it. Figured I'd share the song as it makes for a nice soundscape while browsing these images (they're a fav band of mine). This song is not as abrasive as what they're known for. It's more of an album closer instrumental that is meant to be like a fly through of the album in reverse order by way of featuring samples used throughout the album as the track before it dealt with space/time travel and a black hole (also a great track that starts aggressive and then the second half is a powerful, progressive instrumental jam that crescendos into the previously posted track)
I'll share that too while I'm here (it's basically Interstellar in post-hardcore form lol):