Real Space

[jb42682]

I've always had one question I wanted to ask a astronaut still haven't had the chance. Hoping somebody here would know. When the astronauts speak of space they say all there is just the blackest of the black and this is also what all the photos and videos show. So do you see stars in space? are does it all just appear black?

 

[Master of Blades]

I'm pretty sure you would see stars... Not 100% sure, but quite so.

 

[ryan]

Yes stars would show in space but not in pictures or film.

 

[simonpro]

Stars show up on pictures and film too, you just need to be careful with the exposure settings.

 

[Urwumpe]

I've always had one question I wanted to ask a astronaut still haven't had the chance. Hoping somebody here would know. When the astronauts speak of space they say all there is just the blackest of the black and this is also what all the photos and videos show. So do you see stars in space? are does it all just appear black?

Astronauts can see stars, but the cameras they bring with them usually not.

The problem is light. While you are surrounded by blackness in space, it is not automatically dark. You need to look away from bright pieces of the spacecraft, or even Earth below, to let your eyes adapt and see stars.

Cameras usually don't adapt, and thus, you rarely see stars on a photograph from a space station, especially if a bright part of the space station is also in the view.

 

[garyw]

Mike Mullanes book talks about this. When on the night side of Earth with the shuttles cabin lights off it's possible to see more stars from Orbit than from the surface of Earth. When on the daylit side it's still possible to see stars just not as many.

 

[RisingFury]

Mike Mullanes book talks about this. When on the night side of Earth with the shuttles cabin lights off it's possible to see more stars from Orbit than from the surface of Earth. When on the daylit side it's still possible to see stars just not as many.

And you'd probably be able to raise the exposure of your cam to take pictures of stars without overexposure.

 

[Andy44]

Yes, but what Urwumpe said has to do with the range of exposure values your eye is capable of vs. camera film or CCD technology. Basically, your eye has a far greater dynamic range than even the best digital camera or film, so if you set you camera's exposure level to pick up the stars and you are not in a completely dark cabin looking out, you will get a lot of overexposed cabin light.

 

[Hashy]

Most Astronauts don't go up there to look at the stars.

 

[RisingFury]

Yes, but what Urwumpe said has to do with the range of exposure values your eye is capable of vs. camera film or CCD technology. Basically, your eye has a far greater dynamic range than even the best digital camera or film, so if you set you camera's exposure level to pick up the stars and you are not in a completely dark cabin looking out, you will get a lot of overexposed cabin light.

Yea, I know a think or two about cameras.

@Hashy: I've heard they're encouraged to look around if they get a spare minute.