Which Voyager spacecraft took the 'Family Portrait' image?

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Voyager 1 took the Solar System’s “Family Portrait” image on February 14, 1990. The mosaic showed six planets, including Earth as the famous “Pale Blue Dot,” and became one of the most memorable photographs in space exploration.

The spacecraft captured the image from roughly 6 billion kilometers from Earth, or about 40 astronomical units. It assembled 60 separate frames taken through different filters and exposures. The resulting view included Jupiter, Earth, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, along with the Sun as a bright point.

Voyager 1 was selected because its trajectory had carried it above the Solar System’s ecliptic plane, giving it a useful perspective. Astronomer Carl Sagan had pushed for the farewell portrait for years. Voyager 2 visited the same planetary system, but it did not take this particular mosaic. Mercury, Mars, and Pluto were not visible in the final portrait.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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