I have created palebluedot.org because sometimes a single image can be so powerful that it can shape your thinking and actions for a period way longer than the time taken to simply observe.
OK, I've been a lifelong photographer, so perhaps I'm very attuned to the power of imagery - but it was the picture taken by the Voyager 1 space probe on Feb 14th 1990 that really changed my understanding of the power of imagery.
This image - the most distant photograph ever taken of Earth at roughly 6 billion km away - is one of the most thought provoking images I've ever encountered. I know for sure that in my lifetime no picture of Earth will ever be taken from further away - simple physics and my current age prevent this from happening.
The Voyager programme is, in itself, a triumph of human endeavour. There are scientists and engineers whose entire working life has been dedicated to this project. All of the people who worked on this are an inspiration to humanity.
This applies 100% to Carl Sagan - worked in an advisory/directoral role on the project and it was his idea to take the famous "family photo" of all the planets in our solar system. The real significance is that the photo was the last ever image captured by Voyager 1 as the camera system was powered down afterwards to conserve energy.
The photo, along with Carl Sagan's moving words, is shown below (note this is the recent digitally remastered image released by NASA). This image, and the accompany words, are known simply as "The Pale Blue Dot"
The purpose of this website is to showcase one image per month that I feel makes a statement of similar magnitude to that above.
I have chosen images and words that focus on humanities greatest achievement and biggest challenges
Yoyager 1 continues to head out of our solar system - with just a few years of power left. Its progress can be tracked here.