Always thought nebula photos were just edited to look cool, until I saw the raw data from the Hubble archive

I used to think those giant colorful space clouds in photos were mostly just artists adding effects in Photoshop (you know, for likes). Then I downloaded a raw FITS file from the Hubble Legacy Archive last Tuesday and loaded it up in a free program called SAOImage DS9. Turns out the actual hydrogen alpha data shows those red swirls naturally, even before any color mapping. What really got me was a specific stat from NASA's website: the Pillars of Creation image uses 32 separate exposures across 4 different filters to build one final shot. It's still processed, sure, but the structure and elements are 100% real photons from space. Has anyone else pulled raw telescope data just to see what it looks like before processing?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam_robinson20d ago

Man I did the EXACT same thing last month and it totally blew my mind too.

jordanhall20d ago

Wait till you try it with a good enameled cast iron dutch oven instead of a regular pot, @adam_robinson. That heat distribution makes a huge difference. I messed around with temps for like three batches before I figured out 325 is the sweet spot for my oven. Just be careful not to open the lid too often or you let all the steam out. I ruined a whole batch that way once.

cameron96319d ago

Yeah that "don't open the lid" thing is NO JOKE. I learned it the hard way too. Lost all my heat and had to crank it back up, totally threw off my timing. Now I just peek through the glass and trust the process.