NASA’s Cassini mission built a collage from more than 1,400 shared images of people from 40 countries and 30 American states. The collage pays tribute to the moment that the Cassini spacecraft in Saturn’s orbit turned around to face Earth and snap a photo.

NASA’s Cassini mission team has brought us a collage built from more than 1,400 images of people from 40 countries and 30 American states.

In response to the mission’s Wave at Saturn event, people shared their photos via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, email, and more. The collage pays tribute to July 19th when the Cassini spacecraft turned around to face Earth and snap a photo.

Cassini project scientist Linda Spilker said, “While Earth is too small in the images Cassini obtained to distinguish any individual human beings, the mission has put together this collage so that we can celebrate all your waving hands, uplifted paws, smiling faces and artwork."

Almost 1 billion miles away from Earth, Cassini’s wide-angle camera took the images of our planet in addition to 323 images of Saturn’s entire system, including its rings.

After its 1997 launch in Florida, Cassini traveled for 7 years to reach Saturn’s orbit. Since then, it has sent back many fascinating images and data that have changed the way scientists think about Saturn’s system. The mission plans to continue through 2017.