Pioneer 10 Flyby
Date: 4 Dec 1973

Pioneer 10 sent back images of Jupiter of ever-increasing size.The most dramatic moment was after closest approach and after the spacecraft has been hidden behind Jupiter.


Images gradually built up into a very distorted crescent-shaped Jupiter. "Sunrise on Jupiter," a team member said. The giant planet crescent gradually decreased in size as the spacecraft sped away out of the Jovian system.

Credit: NASA