Why All Images of Space Are Photoshopped - Cheddar Explores

NASA, and most if not all, other space agencies photoshop their images of space - but that doesn't mean their photos are fake. In this video Cheddar explores why images of space are photoshopped, and how that helps astronomers with their job.

Connect with Cheddar!

[nickgehr]

Galaxy just want to join the instagram life

[toreadoress]

I get why they are doing it, but still they should also present a picture of the object with the colors that we as humans CAN perceive. Leave the "colors" we can't see out and put the ones we can, even if it's not as interesting still we want to know how it would actually look if we were there. Many people are fascinated with the universe and it's little disappointing to just say "we don't lie" but at the same also time say "we paint this gas with pretty blue because it's out of human sight range" this still makes it a lie. Yes, the object is real and it's there, but you makes us believe that it looks this way if we can see it, but in reality it doesn't. So just make 2 pictures of the object and say "hey if you are there and can see it, it looks like this, but if our eyes were able to perceive all the light will look something like this".

[vanessax]

Doesn't matter how much you try to sugarcoat it, it's still fake. They know damn well the public don't want to see real, boring images. That's why.

[mr.personhumanson]

NASA: let's photoshop these space objects to make them look more appealing
Internet: *sees pictures* let's turn them into anime girls

[minhle-qdqf]

*showing actual photo of a blackhole*
The internet: lol* such quality, was this taken from the moon landing?
*lewd and meme artists drawing their version of a blackhole*
The internet: this is an acceptable blackhole.

[kfftfuftur]

Why none of the images are actually photoshopped:



NASA doesnt actually use photoshop

[blkretrosamurai]

Why not release the raw footage or photo along with the edited versions? For transparency of course.

[ADHM]

I'm just waiting for Flat Earthers to see this as a conspiracy.

[PublicWifi]

"Interpretations of our reality." Wow.

[RangerRuby]

Even though my heart is sort of crushed... this video made me feel a little better. So thank you, Cheddar.

[AztecMC]

so they can photograph galaxies 300 million light years away in 4k yet no moon photos exist...

[Tomorrison]

One thing that always bothered me were "pictures" of the Milky Way galaxy. That picture is impossible.

[gorryman]

Would be interesting to see them with color cameras just to see if there are real vibrant colors out there, the problem is if there is no vibrant green next to vibrant red as it is perceived by the human eye then they literally are just making it up .

[CaesiusX]

I just don't like seeing these gorgeous images and having the thought in the back of my head, _"Yeah but that's not what it really looks like."_ So, this always bothered me.

I'm not against any of it per se. I understand the reasoning, and it makes complete sense. However, I'm still quite disappointed that I can't trust what I'm being shown. If they would do this *_and also_* provide the most accurate image (as if we were looking at it with our own eyes), then I would be satisfied. And unless I misunderstood, that's not what we're getting at any point. . . _ever._

[whatcurve]

How can you tell what elements are there light years away???? Can some one answer that.

[seanwebb]

I'm fine with colorization, but when you say that this isn't representing something fake I think you need to clarify a few points. Do these images accurately depict what we would see with the human eye if we were viewing these images in person? Are colours being added that aren't there or is it an amplification to correct an issue in the original raw footage? Imagine Turner Classic Films. We know that the people and the world they inhabited in these films were in colour. People didn't really exist in black and white world. But the colorization process first applied was not an accurate depiction of the skin tones, clothing, buildings and such. Are we conditioning people who have never witnessed these sights to believe something that isn't true? What happens when you can provide an accurate picture and people won't believe it because they have been conditioned to accept images doctored with arbitrary colours?


Should we treat these images the same way that a medical diagnostic test would introduce a contrast for imaging?

[likira]

Couldn't they just have said "colorized" next to them like historical photos? I disagree so much with the practice of doing this without telling anyone. With all the conspiracy theories going around this is the LAST thing we need.

[theentertainment]

When will we stop having such unrealistic expectations of space?

[Davanthall]

2:12 I always wondered why old black and white TV from the 50s and 60s sometimes looked like they were so high resolution that it was almost on par with today’s high definition quality...

[phill]

Love it when Scientists pump themselves up as all knowing special people