Wait, don’t rush.)) Firstly, scientists, of course, are no less interested in images in the visible range than in other ranges. The waves of this spectrum are no worse than others in terms of information content, they just concern different characteristics. They provide vital information about the composition of the atmosphere and the composition of rocks visible in the image, for example. Secondly, science is a very expensive thing, so now scientists are constantly concerned about presenting their activities to people. This is taught starting from school; ordinary taxpayers and sponsors should understand what money is spent on, and for this they need beautiful and understandable pictures.
Now the question is, why do scientists “color” pictures in approximate colors? And here in Roman Khmelevsky’s answer one fundamental point is completely ignored. The fact is that planets are objects that do not emit their own light. The color we see for objects that do not emit their own light depends on the lighting at the moment of observation. At dusk all cats are gray, right?) What color is your red shirt at night? Black. What if you shine the light on her through the blue curtains? If you turn on an incandescent lamp (yellowish)? What if you turn on a gas discharge lamp with cool blue-white light? There is a concept in photography: “white balance”. Any color digital photograph is (to simplify) three pictures in filters (red, green, blue). But! This is only the ratio of the signals, but not their brightness as you saw it, but the brightness that is determined by exposure and aperture; and the unknown exact position of the received signal ratio (it is determined by the lighting). The camera does not know what kind of lighting there was - whether the Sun was at dawn, or in the evening, or at its zenith, whether there were clouds, whether it was through green foliage. Therefore, the photographer establishes with his hands what the lighting was. Or sets automatic detection. In this case, the program analyzes the image and tries to determine what kind of lighting there was based on the nature of the image (primarily the sky, clouds, presence of faces). Professional photographers know how often white balance programs make mistakes, especially in mixed lighting (the Sun or an incandescent lamp + a gas discharge lamp, for example, gives blue halos on objects). Therefore, in the control frame they place a target (an object with a standard color - a certain shade of gray, or just a white sheet of paper), then the program is simply indicated that this object should be gray and from here it is clear what shift should be given to all other resulting colors by picture so that they look like they were taken.
Now let’s remember that we don’t know the shooting conditions on other planets in advance, we don’t know the composition of the atmosphere, the presence and composition of dust in the atmosphere, we don’t know how brightly the Sun shines, and perhaps we’re shooting in the dark. And we cannot place our target there. It is now clear that we often simply cannot know exactly what the things we shoot on another planet look like in color. That’s why scientists set the white balance for such pictures conditionally, the way they think it should look.
In the case of shooting space objects emitting light (and they are all located very far away and therefore very weak) and those objects where there is very little reflected light, there is another problem. To register a weak signal, you need to work longer, therefore we heat up more. And heating means noise and distortion of information. Therefore, if the source is weak, then black and white cameras are often used, also with forced cooling (carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen, for example). Or complex post-processing is used to highlight and remove noise. Such programs can also add together many individual frames to “strengthen” the signal. There is something similar in Photoshop, but special programs are much more complicated (the requirements for the reliability of the result are different, and the noise from the signal in the case of just a point image is very difficult to distinguish) and still work for a very long time.
The wonderful structure of the Cosmos and the harmony in it can only be explained by the fact that the Cosmos was created according to the plan of an omniscient and omnipotent Being. Here are my first and last words.
Isaac Newton
Misconceptions about Space
There is an opinion that Space is black and white. However, this is a misconception.Color photographs taken by astronomers using orbiting telescopes show that most cosmic bodies are unusually colorful. Why don't we see this riot of colors? The reason for our cosmic color blindness is not only in the enormous distances to the observed objects, but also in some features of our vision. It was found that we can clearly distinguish the color of an object when the flow of light energy emitted or reflected by it is sufficiently intense. In those cases when it is close to being extremely distinguishable, the object appears to us as monotonously gray, although it is not.
Neither is interstellar space itself black. American astronomers from the University of Baltimore were able to determine its color by analyzing more than 200 thousand photographs. By adding up all the colors at the disposal of astronomers, they obtained the average color of the Universe. And it turned out to be not black at all, but turquoise with an aquamarine tint. Astronomers reported this discovery in 2002. But more recently, in 2003, scientists apologized and stated that the Universe is most likely beige. As it turned out, an error had crept into the previous results due to a virus in the computer, which distorted the program that converted cosmic radiation into visible colors.
The color of the Earth itself is also not yet clear. Our planet is usually called blue - this is exactly what it looks like in color photographs taken from Space. But scientists believe this definition is not entirely correct. The predominance of blue color in photographs is explained by the fact that the main part of the Earth's surface is covered with water, which absorbs red rays well and reflects the blue part of the spectrum. The nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of our planet has approximately the same properties. So it turns out that most of the red rays are subtracted from the reflected light and blue predominates.
Space is often called lifeless. However, it is difficult to agree with such misconceptions. Life in space is in full swing. If we draw analogies with terrestrial weather phenomena, then the cosmic wind blows, cosmic rains occur, cosmic thunder rumbles and cosmic lightning flashes. Space storms and hurricanes are common. Scientists observing these processes claim that cosmic life is in no way inferior to earthly life in terms of the richness of forms of manifestations and diversity.
The recent discovery of scientists from the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, made with the help of a unique radio telescope located in the town of Simeiz, also refutes the myth about the lifelessness of Space. Crimean astrophysicists managed to detect a huge number of organic molecules in space - more than a hundred types - water and even alcohols, which are especially numerous in the constellation Orion.
This cosmic discovery is, oddly enough, another breakthrough in understanding the origin of life on Mother Earth. Until recently, scientists claimed that we all “emerged” from the bottom of the World Ocean. However, recently, more and more adherents have found a theory according to which the seed that laid the foundation for everything on Earth came from the unknown depths of the Universe. Observations by Crimean astronomers show that this is indeed possible and that life on our planet came from outer space...
August 16th, 2016
Photos from space published on the websites of NASA and other space agencies often attract the attention of those who doubt their authenticity - critics find traces of editing, retouching or color manipulation in the images. This has been the case since the birth of the “moon conspiracy,” and now photographs taken not only by Americans, but also by Europeans, Japanese, and Indians have come under suspicion. Together with the N+1 portal, we are looking into why space images are processed at all and whether, despite this, they can be considered authentic.
In order to correctly assess the quality of space images that we see on the Internet, it is necessary to take into account two important factors. One of them is related to the nature of interaction between agencies and the general public, the other is dictated by physical laws.
Public relations
Space images are one of the most effective means of popularizing the work of research missions in near and deep space. However, not all footage is immediately available to the media.
Images received from space can be divided into three groups: “raw”, scientific and public. Raw, or original, files from spacecraft are sometimes available to everyone, and sometimes not. For example, images taken by the Mars rovers Curiosity and Opportunity or Saturn's moon Cassini are released in near real time, so anyone can see them at the same time as scientists studying Mars or Saturn. Raw photographs of the Earth from the ISS are uploaded to a separate NASA server. Astronauts flood them with thousands, and no one has time to pre-process them. The only thing that is added to them on Earth is a geographic reference to make searching easier.
Usually, public footage that is attached to press releases from NASA and other space agencies is criticized for retouching, because they are the ones that catch the eye of Internet users in the first place. And if you want, you can find a lot of things there. And color manipulation:
Photo of the landing platform of the Spirit rover in visible light and capturing near-infrared light.
(c) NASA/JPL/Cornell
And overlaying several images:
Earthrise over Compton Crater on the Moon.
And copy-paste:
Fragment of Blue Marble 2001
(c) NASA/Robert Simmon/MODIS/USGS EROS
And even direct retouching, with erasing some image fragments:
Highlighted shotApollo 17 GPN-2000-001137.
(c) NASA
NASA’s motivation in the case of all these manipulations is so simple that not everyone is ready to believe it: it’s more beautiful.
But it’s true, the bottomless blackness of space looks more impressive when it’s not interfered with by debris on the lens and charged particles on the film. A color frame is indeed more attractive than a black and white one. A panorama from photographs is better than individual frames. It is important that in the case of NASA it is almost always possible to find the original footage and compare one with the other. For example, the original version (AS17-134-20384) and the “printable” version (GPN-2000-001137) of this image from Apollo 17, which is cited as almost the main evidence of retouching of lunar photographs:
Comparison of frames AS17-134-20384 and GPN-2000-001137
(c) NASA
Or find the rover’s “selfie stick,” which “disappeared” when creating its self-portrait:
Curiosity images from January 14, 2015, Sol 868
(c) NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Physics of Digital Photography
Typically, those who criticize space agencies for manipulating color, using filters, or publishing black-and-white photographs “in this digital age” fail to consider the physical processes involved in producing digital images. They believe that if a smartphone or camera immediately produces color images, then a spacecraft should be even more capable of doing this, and they have no idea what complex operations are needed to immediately get a color image onto the screen.
Let us explain the theory of digital photography: the matrix of a digital camera is, in fact, a solar battery. There is light - there is current, no light - no current. Only the matrix is not a single battery, but many small batteries - pixels, from each of which the current output is separately read. Optics focuses light onto a photomatrix, and electronics reads the intensity of energy released by each pixel. From the data obtained, an image is constructed in shades of gray - from zero current in the dark to maximum in the light, that is, the output is black and white. To make it color, you need to apply color filters. It turns out, oddly enough, that color filters are present in every smartphone and in every digital camera from the nearest store! (For some, this information is trivial, but, according to the author’s experience, for many it will be news.) In the case of conventional photographic equipment, alternating red, green and blue filters are used, which are alternately applied to individual pixels of the matrix - this is the so-called Bayer filter .
The Bayer filter consists of half green pixels, and red and blue each occupy one quarter of the area.
(c) Wikimedia
We repeat here: navigation cameras produce black and white images because such files weigh less, and also because color is simply not needed there. Scientific cameras allow us to extract more information about space than the human eye can perceive, and therefore they use a wider range of color filters:
Matrix and filter drum of the OSIRIS instrument on Rosetta
(c) MPS
Using a filter for near-infrared light, which is invisible to the eye, instead of red, resulted in Mars appearing red in many of the images that made it into the media. Not all of the explanations about the infrared range were reprinted, which gave rise to a separate discussion, which we also discussed in the material “What color is Mars.”
However, the Curiosity rover has a Bayer filter, which allows it to shoot in colors familiar to our eyes, although a separate set of color filters is also included with the camera.
(c) NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
The use of individual filters is more convenient in terms of selecting the light ranges in which you want to look at the object. But if this object moves quickly, then its position changes in pictures in different ranges. In the Elektro-L footage, this was noticeable in the fast clouds, which managed to move in a matter of seconds while the satellite was changing the filter. On Mars, a similar thing happened when filming sunsets at the Spirit and Opportunity rover - they do not have a Bayer filter:
Sunset taken by Spirit on Sol 489. Overlay of images taken with 753,535 and 432 nanometer filters.
(c) NASA/JPL/Cornell
On Saturn, Cassini has similar difficulties:
Saturn's moons Titan (behind) and Rhea (front) in Cassini images
(c) NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
At the Lagrange point, DSCOVR faces the same situation:
Transit of the Moon across the Earth's disk in a DSCOVR image on July 16, 2015.
(c) NASA/NOAA
To get a beautiful photo from this shoot suitable for distribution in the media, you have to work in an image editor.
There is another physical factor that not everyone knows about - black and white photographs have higher resolution and clarity compared to color ones. These are so-called panchromatic images, which include all the light information entering the camera, without cutting off any parts of it with filters. Therefore, many “long-range” satellite cameras shoot only in panchrome, which for us means black and white footage. Such a LORRI camera is installed on New Horizons, and a NAC camera is installed on the LRO lunar satellite. Yes, in fact, all telescopes shoot in panchrome, unless special filters are used. (“NASA is hiding the true color of the Moon” is where it came from.)
A multispectral “color” camera, equipped with filters and having a much lower resolution, can be attached to a panchromatic camera. At the same time, its color photographs can be superimposed on panchromatic ones, as a result of which we obtain high-resolution color photographs.
Pluto in panchromatic and multispectral images from New Horizons
(c) NASA/JHU APL/Southwest Research Institute
This method is often used when photographing the Earth. If you know about this, you can see in some frames a typical halo that leaves a blurry color frame:
Composite image of the Earth from the WorldView-2 satellite
(c)DigitalGlobe
It was through this overlay that the very impressive frame of the Earth above the Moon was created, which is given above as an example of overlaying different images:
(c) NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
Additional processing
Often you have to resort to the tools of graphic editors when you need to clean up a frame before publishing. Ideas about the perfection of space technology are not always justified, which is why debris on space cameras is common. For example, the MAHLI camera on the Curiosity rover is simply crap, there’s no other way to put it:
Photo of Curiosity by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on Sol 1401
(c) NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
A speck in the STEREO-B solar telescope gave rise to a separate myth about an alien space station constantly flying above the north pole of the Sun:
(c) NASA/GSFC/JHU APL
Even in space, it is not uncommon for charged particles to leave their traces on the matrix in the form of individual dots or stripes. The longer the shutter speed, the more traces remain; “snow” appears on the frames, which does not look very presentable in the media, so they also try to clear it off (read: “photoshop” it) before publication:
(c) NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Therefore, we can say: yes, NASA photoshops pictures from space. ESA photoshops. Roscosmos photoshops. ISRO photoshops. JAXA photoshops... Only the Zambian National Space Agency does not photoshop. So if someone is not satisfied with NASA images, then you can always use their space images without any signs of processing.
Cosmos tattoos amaze with their diversity. Realistic images of galaxies, miniature drawings of planets, portraits of astronauts and images of UFOs have more than once become subjects for tattoos. The vast expanses of the universe attract people with their secrets and discoveries. The childhood dream of becoming an astronaut is also embodied in bright tattoos.
Any tattoo style can successfully bring a space theme to life.
Meaning of Space Tattoo
There are several main meanings of Space Tattoos
1. Mystery, unknown
Until now, scientists have not been able to fully study even the solar system, not to mention more distant spaces. People have always been drawn to the unknown, which is why space themes attract the attention of tattoo lovers.
2. Dreaminess, determination, thirst for discovery
Many people dreamed of becoming an astronaut as children. This bright childhood dream transforms over the years into a thirst for knowledge, science, and obtaining new knowledge. A person comes into independent adult life as if into outer space, where there are many mysteries and secrets. But with the help of knowledge, courage and determination, a person learns about the world.
3. Man is part of the Cosmos
Everything in the Universe is interconnected. Many people believe that space is the opposite of chaos. That the structure of the world is designed for everything to interact with each other. In this case, a space tattoo will become a symbol of the unity of man and the world, space, and celestial bodies.
Popular Places and Subjects Tattoo Space
Tattoo Space Sleeve
The subject for voluminous sleeve tattoos is most often realistic images of cosmic bodies. Planets, stars, meteor showers and comets look mesmerizing in bright colors. The more detailed the artist draws the sketch, the more magical and unrealistic the final tattoo looks.
Space Tattoo on Wrist
It is customary to depict minimalist, laconic drawings. These could be small sketches of planets or stars.
Astronaut Tattoo
An astronaut can symbolize a brave, courageous pioneer. The first cosmonauts, such as Yuri Gagarin, were not just professionals, but national heroes. Many years later, the conquest of space remains a landmark event for humanity, and astronauts symbolize progress, masculinity and a thirst for discovery.
UFO tattoo
Tattoos with images of Flying Saucers are chosen by people with a good sense of humor. Unidentified flying objects symbolize fantasy, the ability to be surprised. Sometimes a UFO can become a talisman for creative people or science fiction lovers.
Planet Tattoo
Planets are often depicted on a tattoo in a row, in order of the Solar System. It can be a black and white tattoo or a realism tattoo.
Rocket Tattoo
The rocket is a symbol of space exploration. This is an object that flies towards its target at great speed to make new discoveries. This tattoo will appeal to active people who love adventure and travel. Discovering the world around you is no less interesting than conquering space.
Black and White Tattoo Space
Despite the color variety of celestial bodies, black and white tattoos do not lose their popularity in the space theme. Planets or the moon look beautiful in black and white.
Small Space Tattoos
Small space-themed tattoos are schematic images of celestial bodies, or geometric shapes filled with a starry sky. Most often, small tattoos are placed on the wrist or forearm.
Men's Space Tattoos - Space Tattoo Sketches for Men
No matter how much we peer into space, it still remains a mystery to us. This is probably what attracts tattoo lovers who cover their bodies with star-studded designs. These people are often called romantics, irrational dreamers. However, this is not always true. Let's look at the fashionable type of body painting in more detail.
Meaning of space tattoo
A refutation of the fact that only irrational people fill the cosmos is the symbolism of the Universe itself. Despite little knowledge of boundless space, it is often associated with order, something holistic, complete. And the famous philosopher Plato once even equated it with a person. The complex structure of the galaxy seemed to him similar in structure to the consciousness of people. From this we can conclude that owners of space tattoos first of all seek harmony with the world within themselves. They want to feel and see their inner self in the mirror. And only then come dreams.
Others use the well-known symbols of the planets of the solar system to form their personal brand. To emphasize your “beginning”, to make its main features visible. In addition, each planet is associated with a zodiac sign. This interpretation has the right to life, since the Cosmos tattoo in its modern form is a fairly young trend. Previously, graphic outlines of constellations, astronauts, rockets, etc. were depicted. Nowadays, colored banners and large images of planets are in fashion. Let us consider their possible interpretation in more detail.
The meaning of planet tattoos
Each of the planets known to mankind has a certain set of symbolic representations. The most universal are the following theses:
- The sun is a masculine image, symbolizing strength and indestructible energy. The widespread application of tattoos depicting the sun is also due to the former status of the luminary. Previously, it was revered as a deity. Therefore, owners of such a tattoo can well count on divine protection
- The moon also refers to female images. She is often associated with a deep secret, a cosmic riddle. Moonlight brings peace and fulfillment of secret desires
- Mars is often associated with insolence and aggressive masculinity. The character of a person with this planet on the body can have explosive power
- Mercury is the patron of travelers, businessmen, in general, all those who do not sit in one place. The messenger of the gods promises good luck to the bearers of his image
- Venus is too obvious a symbol to describe in detail. Let us only recall her love traits, which appear in every person from time to time.
- Saturn is considered a symbol of wisdom and high spiritual level. Therefore, the owner of a tattoo with this planet is often a man over 30 or even 40 years old
- The earth is too universal an image to be judged unambiguously. In any case, the tattoo has positive energy and attracts good luck. Usually popular with the female half of humanity. This is easily explained by the existence of a stable “Earth-Mother” connection.
However, not only famous planets can be found on the bodies of space lovers. Distant stars and zodiac constellations are also intended to say something about the owner of the tattoo. This can be either tied to luck or a more “narrow” meaning. For example, a star on the wrist may indicate unusual sexual preferences. And, in fact, there are many such subtleties. Therefore, you should carefully study information about celestial bodies before recklessly stuffing them onto your body.
