Family Portrait (Voyager)

In the context of the Voyager program, "Family Portrait" refers to a mosaic of images of planets in our solar system taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1990. This unique image captured Earth, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune from a distance of approximately 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles). Mercury and Mars were too close to the Sun to be imaged, and Pluto was too small and faint.

The primary purpose of the Voyager missions was to explore Jupiter and Saturn. However, planetary scientist Carl Sagan championed the idea of turning Voyager 1's camera back toward the inner solar system to capture images of the planets before the spacecraft journeyed too far away. This endeavor resulted in the "Family Portrait," a poignant reminder of Earth's place in the cosmos.

The images were taken over a period of several days in February 1990, after Voyager 1 had completed its primary mission. The resulting composite image, although containing many blank spaces due to the vast distances between the planets, provided a unique perspective and emphasized the fragility and isolation of Earth. The iconic "Pale Blue Dot" image of Earth, part of the Family Portrait, is a widely recognized symbol of humanity's existence in the grand scale of the universe. The Family Portrait project was significant not only for its scientific value but also for its philosophical and cultural impact.