THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

Out in the twilight of the solar system, far from the warmth of the Sun and the vitality of Earth, Voyager 2 cruised over the cold blue clouds of Neptune tonight, its cameras snapping pictures and its sensors gathering data on the composition and dynamic forces of the giant planet.  The rendezvous was the culmination of the most far-ranging exploration of the planets in the 32-year history of the space age.  In its 12-year, 4.4-billion-mile voyage, the one-ton spacecraft has survived mechanical and electronic adversity, crossed the asteroid belt beyond Mars and passed close to the kaleidoscopic face of Jupiter, the resplendent rings of Saturn and then pale Uranus and its retinue of moons and dark rings. 

Wilford/NYT