Why do we capture the Cosmos?

Space photography is way more than capturing just beautiful images and inspiring us to daydream. It is a way to unlock actual mysteries of the universe. These images are like small snapshots of time and space and they “talk” to us. It helps scientist to understand the past, present and the future of our universe.

With very delicate and precise techniques, astrophotography provides insights into the formation of start, galaxies and planets.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, it allows anyone to explore and gaze the cosmos from their screens and telescopes. With each image, we get a glimpse of the unknown.

These images play a crucial role in more than one domain – scientific research, climate monitoring and technological development.

The evolution of space photography – from Earth-based observatories to space telescopes

The history of space photography is not something that started recently. It began long before the era of space missions. Everything started with a telescope down on Earth and the first attempts date back to the late 19th century!

Observatories like the Yerkes Observatory near the Geneva Lake, as part of the University of Chicago, in the USA started taking picture as early as 1897! 

Another big name should be listed here and that is of the Mount Wilson Observatory, located near Pasadena, California. They have a history of being one of the earliest and most important observatories. Something interesting – they used a telescope and astronomers from Yerkes Observatory.

And in Mount Wilson, Hubble used the 2540 mm (100 inches) to make his discoveries. That would be 2025.

But capturing clear images is challenging due to the interference of the atmosphere.

That leads us, naturally, to space telescopes and there is one name that is huge here – the Hubble space telescope. Marked as a pivotal moment for astrophotography. It doesn’t have the atmospheric limitation of Earth and captured breathtaking details images of galaxies and nebulae.

It took us a lot of time to get to that specific point. The year was 1990.

But creating striking images as Pillars of Creation, it quickly became one of the most iconic space telescopes. All of this helped scientist understand the expansion of the universe better and see everything in more clear and visible way.

Another pivotal point is the 2021 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and it brought a new era in space imaging. It has advanced infrared sensors and it can peer through cosmic dust clouds to observe the formation of stars and galaxies billions of light years away, providing scientist with a new level of details and insights. It can “travel” unbelievably far back in time!

The discoveries of James Webb help us to understand the earlies universe and how everything came up to be.

It also recreated some of the most iconic images the Hubble telescope did. As the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle nebula!

Scientific discoveries enabled by space photography

Taking images is an instrument in unlocking a lot of the secrets of the cosmic void. From the first bad image of the Moon to the ultra-detailed images captured by the Hames Webb Space Telescope, these snapshots serve as very crucial data points in scientific research.

Mapping galaxies and star formation

This allows astronomers to map the vast structure of the Universe. Capturing images of galaxy clusters, scientists have created models of how galaxies are distributed across the space.

For example, images from telescopes like Sloan Digital Sky Survey have helped confirm that galaxies are not randomly scattered but form a cosmic web of filaments and voids.

Something curious – the iconic Hubble Deep Field image, which shows thousands of galaxies in a tiny patch of sky, was created by pointing the telescope at what seemed to be an empty part of the Universe!

Exoplanets

Favorite topic of mine. High resolution images have made it possible to detect exoplanets by observing the faint dips in starlight when planets pass in front of their host start.

NASA’s Kepler mission relied heavily on imaging technology to identify thousands of these worlds, with some located in the “habitable zone”. This mean water might exist in liquid state.

Studying black holes and other exotic objects

One of the most exciting breakthroughs in recent years was the first ever image of a black hole. It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2019. This was done by combining data from multiple telescopes around the world, showcasing the power of advanced imaging and computational techniques.

Space photography and technological advancements

It’s not just about the images. It has a very serious impact on life on Earth as well. The innovations developed for capturing images have fueled advancements in technology across multiple industries.

Revolutionizing imaging technology

Cameras and sensors that are used for space photography have led to the development of tools we use every day. Charge-coupled devices (CCD’s) are first designed for astronomical imaging. Now used in everything from smartphones to medical imaging like MRI and CT scanners.

Similarly, advancements in CMOS sensors (semiconductor that takes images of objects by extracting light, captured by a lens), which are widely used in astro photography, have improved consumer-grade cameras by making the more sensitive and efficient.

Data compression and transmission

The enormous amount of data generated by space telescopes required NASA and other agencies to create some methods of data compression and transmission.

These technologies are now used in internet communication, video streaming and satellites.

Earth observation and environmental monitoring

Many of the same imaging techniques used for astro photography are applied in Earth observation satellites. These tools help monitor deforestation, track hurricanes and analyze the impacts of climate changes.

One example – hyperspectral imaging, originally designed for studying distant planets, is now used to analyze crops, pollution and mineral deposits here on Earth.

Something interesting – the software used to analyze space images, such as image stacking and denoising algorithms, is also used in crime forensics to enhance security camera footage.

Education and inspiration of astro photography

This is one very important reason why space imaging is important. It holds a unique ability to educate and inspire people of all ages. It makes science accessible and inspire generations of dreamers.

Space photography transforms complex scientific concepts into visual stories. Stories like supernovae, the deaths of stars and Saturn’s rings revealing structures that fuel curiosity about planetary formation.

Few things ignite the human imagination for life like a stunning image of the cosmos and daydreaming about the Universe. Iconic images such as the “Earthrise” photo taken by Apollo 8 and the “Pale Blue Dot” captured by Voyager 1 remind us of our planet’s fragility and our place in the void of space.

Space photography is much more than a collection of stunning visuals. It is a powerful tool for discovery, innovation and inspiration.

At SpacePixel we celebrate this beauty and significance! We believe that stargazing and wondering about what is out there is a great driving force for our species and we are inviting you to be part of that!