NASA is slowly powering down the Voyager probes. Here are 18 groundbreaking photos from their 45-year mission.

Marianne GuenotJun 22, 2022, 18:25 IST

This montage shows examples of striking images of the solar system taken by Voyager 1 and 2 on their missions.NASA/JPL/Insider

Almost 45 years after their launch, Voyager 1 and 2 are still going.
But with power dwindling, the probes may soon reach the end of their scientific mission.

The Voyager probes are pioneers of science, making it further into space than any other object made by humans.

Originally sent on a four-year mission to Jupiter and Saturn in 1977, the twin probes exceeded all expectations, and are still going 45 years later.

Among their achievements are the amazing photos of the solar they beamed back before the cameras were shut down.

But now, they face a terminal problem: their power is running out, and NASA scientists are starting to shut down even more instruments on board to conserve energy.

As they near the end of their mission, here are 18 images from Voyager that changed science:

The Voyager probes were designed to visit Jupiter and Saturn.

The voyager probes wizzed through the solar system taking unprecedented pictures.NASA

This is what Voyager saw on its approach to Jupiter.

A timelapse taken by Voyager 1 as it approached Jupiter in 1979.NASA/JPL

The probes discovered two new moons orbiting Jupiter: Thebe and Metis.

Jupiter and two of its moons, as seen by Voyager.NASA/JPL

As well as a thin ring around Jupiter

A false-color image of Jupiter's ring, discovered by Voyager.NASA/JPL

Voyager 1's biggest discovery was volcanic activity at the surface of Io, Jupiter's moon.

A picture taken by the Voyager probes uncovered volcanoes at the surface of Io.NASA/JPL

Next stop: Saturn

Three Voyager 2 images, taken through ultraviolet, violet and green filters, were combined to make this photograph.NASA/JPL

Voyager taught scientists about the detail of Saturn's rings, here captured in false color.

Saturn's rings are shown in false color in a picture taken by a Voyager probe on August 23, 1981.NASA

Enceladus, Saturn's moon, was seen in unprecedented detail by Voyager.

Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, is seen by Voyager.NASA/JPL

This picture, taken as the probe flew away, provided a unique view of the planet, letting us see the part in shadow.

Voyager 1 looked back to Saturn on November 16 1980 to give this unique perspective on its rings.NASA/JPL

By '86, Voyager 2 had made it to Uranus

Voyager 2 captured these images, in true colors (left) and false-color (right) of Neptune in 1986.NASA/JPL

Its pictures of Uranus' largest moons revealed their complicated geological past. It also uncovered 11 previously unseen moons.

Miranda, Uranus's moon.NASA/JPL

Voyager 2 was the first spacecraft to observe Neptune close up.

Neptune, seen in false color by Voyager 2 in 1989. Here's the red or white color means that the sunlight is going through a methane-rich atmosphere.NASA/JPL

A picture shows the blue Neptune in full.

Neptune, seen by Voyager 2 in 1989NASA/JPL

A picture shows Triton's rough surface.

Triton, seen by Voyager 2 in 1989NASA/JPL

Another shows Triton's southern hemisphere.

Neptune, seen by Voyager 2 in 1989NASA/JPL

It captured Neptune's rings.

Neptune's rings.NASA/JPL

Here, the crescent shape of Neptune's south pole was seen by Voyager as it departed.

Neptune, seen by Voyager 2 in 1989NASA/JPL

Voyager took 60 images of the solar system from about 4 billion miles away.

The solar system's portrait was provided by Voyager 1 in 1990.NASA/JPL

It gave us the Earth's most distant self-portrait, dubbed the "pale blue dot"

This is the Earth, seen from 4 billion miles away.NASA

Beyond the solar system

This artist's concept shows the general locations of NASA's two Voyager spacecraft. Voyager 1 (top) has sailed beyond our solar bubble into interstellar space, the space between stars.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Even after their instruments are switched off, the probes' mission continues

A collage shows the two sides of NASA's golden record, which is onboard the Voyager probes.NASA/Insider

Photos and satellite images show major flood damage in Yellowstone National Park, forcing 10,000 visitors to evacuate

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

NASA is slowly powering down the Voyager probes. Here are 18 groundbreaking photos from their 45-year mission.

The Voyager probes were designed to visit Jupiter and Saturn.

This is what Voyager saw on its approach to Jupiter.

The probes discovered two new moons orbiting Jupiter: Thebe and Metis.

As well as a thin ring around Jupiter

Voyager 1's biggest discovery was volcanic activity at the surface of Io, Jupiter's moon.

Next stop: Saturn

Voyager taught scientists about the detail of Saturn's rings, here captured in false color.

Enceladus, Saturn's moon, was seen in unprecedented detail by Voyager.

This picture, taken as the probe flew away, provided a unique view of the planet, letting us see the part in shadow.

By '86, Voyager 2 had made it to Uranus

Its pictures of Uranus' largest moons revealed their complicated geological past. It also uncovered 11 previously unseen moons.

Voyager 2 was the first spacecraft to observe Neptune close up.

A picture shows the blue Neptune in full.

A picture shows Triton's rough surface.

Another shows Triton's southern hemisphere.

It captured Neptune's rings.

Here, the crescent shape of Neptune's south pole was seen by Voyager as it departed.

Voyager took 60 images of the solar system from about 4 billion miles away.

It gave us the Earth's most distant self-portrait, dubbed the "pale blue dot"

Beyond the solar system

Even after their instruments are switched off, the probes' mission continues