How Real Are The James Webb Space Telescope Images?

What does space really look like to the naked eye? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down what space looks like to us, the colors we see, and how telescopes like JWST help us explore the cosmos.

Is space really that colorful? Learn about the human eye, ROYGBIV, and what colors our eyes see. How do you make a color image from infrared light that we can’t see? What would the JWST picture of the Carina Nebula look like to the naked eye? And, finally, how do these color images help us do science?

Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus

FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:

About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

#StarTalk #neildegrassetyson

00:00 - Is Space Colorful?
00:32 - The Colors Humans See
3:32 - Making Images Out of Infrared Light
5:18 - Are Space Images Fake?
9:19 - How Color Images Help Science
10:59 - A Philosophical Point About Color

[StarTalk]

Which space telescope image is your favorite? 🔭✨

[chalkiememe]

I am in absolute awe by the amount of knowledge and information Neil has in his head. I love how he explains things. At nearly 60 I am learning so much and found a new interest in space. Love Star Talk.

[paula-np-ret]

As a former astronomy prof, I taught astrophotography. Neil, you know we used to stack our negatives to get the colors in our photos. Now with digital technology we can still get color through the filters used and the spectral analysis.

[UnitasPhotography]

As a commercial photographer this is one of the best and easiest explanations that the layman can follow. So awesome to have a science communicator that can break complex processes into an easy to comprehend format.

[brianjones]

This explainer is fantastic. I already had an understanding that people colored the imagery but this video pulls back the curtain to reveal the understanding of how it's done. Thank you.

[AaronENichols]

Y’all are an awesome duo! This episode makes me appreciate the science in the space photos. Looking forward to the next StarTalk!

[ajk]

I love Chuck's "Happy Nebula" comment!

[EricRoss]

"Stellar nursery"! Love it!

[anacantinho]

I am learning to paint. In pigments we have raw and burnt Sienna as raw and burnt umber. From what I've learnt they roast the natural pigments to get to the burnt tones, hence the name

[High-Tech-Geek]

Thank you for clarifying the difference between color shifting and false color. Just the right amount of detail.

[jeffswope]

Damn, you guys got me again I accidentally learned something. made me love my telescope, even more

[prinkisdead]

chuck is like that little kid that always has that one friend that’s a bit older constantly explaining life to them and he just goes along and agrees with everything 😂

[SwampyColorado]

Chuck makes this worth watching. Such a lovable guy.

[sudipchatterjee]

It's fascinating to know how much information simple light can give us! Kudos to those people who interpret and contextualize them!

[hannahgiza]

Thank you SO much for this video! I remember when I was a kid I was so disappointed when I found out the colors in telescope photos were “fake” because we couldn’t actually “see” them. Thank you!! 🙏 😊 can I just listen to you all day Neil?

[JBSprig]

I didn't know most of what you explained, so thanks! Very helpful in kind of a mauve way.

[KC-ndnt]

Sure would be intersting to see an image of our local planet from a distance with a james webb infrared style scope

[よしとん-zp]

This is the exact explainer that I have wanted! I always wondered if those beautiful images by the JWST showed the actual colors. Thank you so much for bringing this topic on! Arigatou as always !

[dawnhansen]

Educational Entertainment to the MAX ❤ I LOVE StarTalk ❗️

[JuanCarlosDaSilva]

Even explaining Chuck's jokes with images is great, specially for those who don't live in the US. Keep up the good work.