Range : 1,550,000 km ( 961,000 miles ) These high resolution pictures of Jupiter's ring were obtained by Voyager 2 some 26 hrs. past the planet, 2 degrees below the ring plane. The forward scattering of sunlight reveals a radial distribution and density gradient of very small particles extending inward from the ring toward Jupiter. There is an indication of structure within the ring, but unfortunatly the spacecrafts motion during these long exposures blurred out the highest resolution detail, particularly in the frame at right. ARC-1979-A79-7101

In 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 started their one-way journey to the end of the solar system and beyond, now traveling a million miles a day. Jimmy Carter was president when NASA launched two probes from Cape Canaveral. Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, were initially meant to explore Jupiter, Saturn, and their moons. They did that. But then they kept going at a rate of 35,000 miles per hour. Each craft bears an object that is a record, both dubbed the Golden Records. They were the product of Carl Sagan and his team who produced a record that would, if discovered by aliens, represent humanity and "communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials."