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Why Moon Landing Photos Have No Stars
Published 2 months, 1 week ago
Description
It sounds strange… If you were standing on the Moon, surrounded by the darkness of space, you should see more stars than ever—right?
Not exactly.
In this episode, we uncover why astronauts on missions like Apollo 11 reported seeing almost no stars while standing on the lunar surface. The answer lies in a surprising combination of light, human vision, and camera exposure.
Why does the Sun’s glare overpower the stars? How does the Moon’s surface reflect light? And why do photos from space often appear starless?
From the science of brightness and contrast to how our eyes adapt in extreme environments, we break down the real reason the stars seem to disappear in one of the darkest places imaginable.
Because sometimes… what you don’t see tells the most interesting story.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/kurzgesagt-podcast-science-revealed--6600013/support.
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Not exactly.
In this episode, we uncover why astronauts on missions like Apollo 11 reported seeing almost no stars while standing on the lunar surface. The answer lies in a surprising combination of light, human vision, and camera exposure.
Why does the Sun’s glare overpower the stars? How does the Moon’s surface reflect light? And why do photos from space often appear starless?
From the science of brightness and contrast to how our eyes adapt in extreme environments, we break down the real reason the stars seem to disappear in one of the darkest places imaginable.
Because sometimes… what you don’t see tells the most interesting story.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/kurzgesagt-podcast-science-revealed--6600013/support.
This episode includes AI-generated content.