Stars background in space photos

[fwong]

We all know that one of the silliest agruments from those who think the moon landing was a hoax was that the photos taken from the moon showed no stars. In fact the reverse was true. Only Hollywood movie makers create many stars in their films. *Almost* all space photos show a dark sky. However, I did find the following photo that seemed to show stars:
APOD: February 20 1999

Sorry that it is an APOD. First were they stars, or were they lights from big cites at night? If they were stars, why? Was it because at that particular instant, the lighting was low, and it was a long exposure? Have anybody come across any other space photos showing stars?

[Case]

Great find! These are rare.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990220.html

Was it because at that particular instant, the lighting was low, and it was a long exposure?

I expect so.

[Doum]

I'ts a hoax!!! (Nahh i'm joking.)

[rollovermikey]

WOW! Great point! Could it be that we can't photograph stars from the Moon because of the Moon's (very meager) atmosphere? Perhaps the photo you have found shows Orion because it was taken from an angle that does not "look" in a direction toward the Moon? Just a thought. BUT now that you've got me thinking, I've gotta go back and study some other APOD photos to investigate this further. Thanks for giving me something to do today! Great subject BTW. Coincidentally, I can recall at least one APOD photo that dealt PRECISELY with this subject, I'll see if I can find it and post the link.

The same photo is posted here http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051203.html
on December 03, 2005. It says that all of the mechanical (man made) stuff that you see in the picture is illuminated by moonlight. Therefore it is logical to deduce that the Moon is behind the photographer in this shot.

Here's a link to BadAstronomy.com http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html#stars
It contains the explaination posted by ORCA that follows in the post below mine.

[Orca]

1. Only Hollywood movie makers create many stars in their films.

2. If they were stars, why? Was it because at that particular instant, the lighting was low, and it was a long exposure? Have anybody come across any other space photos showing stars?

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation made the worst mistake...twinkling stars through ship windows!

2. The lack of stars in photographs are due to the settings on the cameras being used...such as aperture and exposure times.

The Moon's surface is airless. On Earth, our thick atmosphere scatters sunlight, spreading it out over the whole sky. That's why the sky is bright during the day. Without sunlight, the air is dark at night, allowing us to see stars.

On the Moon, the lack of air means that the sky is dark. Even when the Sun is high off the horizon during full day, the sky near it will be black. If you were standing on the Moon, you would indeed see stars, even during the day.

So why aren't they in the Apollo pictures? Pretend for a moment you are an astronaut on the surface of the Moon. You want to take a picture of your fellow space traveler. The Sun is low off the horizon, since all the lunar landings were done at local morning. How do you set your camera? The lunar landscape is brightly lit by the Sun, of course, and your friend is wearing a white spacesuit also brilliantly lit by the Sun. To take a picture of a bright object with a bright background, you need to set the exposure time to be fast, and close down the aperture setting too; that's like the pupil in your eye constricting to let less light in when you walk outside on a sunny day.

So the picture you take is set for bright objects. Stars are faint objects! In the fast exposure, they simply do not have time to register on the film. It has nothing to do with the sky being black or the lack of air, it's just a matter of exposure time. If you were to go outside here on Earth on the darkest night imaginable and take a picture with the exact same camera settings the astronauts used, you won't see any stars!

[harry]

Hello All

For those who are interested
Photos landing on the moon and the black sky

Here are some links

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071214.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070720.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060826.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060327.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060107.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051217.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041023.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040113.html

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031109.html

I had these listed in my computer.

[craterchains]

Harry,

It is pictures WITH stars in them that are being looked for, , , , , , ,

It helps to actually READ the posts first before commenting.

[BMAONE23]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060107.html
This image shows a star, though faintly, in the lower left, at the bottom of the image, below the LM pod left side thruster pack.
Good find harry

[makc]

BMA, although the feature you seem to have in mind is not a star, if you enchance image brightness in photoshop you can see many stars:

[BMAONE23]

If in fact, the enhanced image didn't create artifactual stars but instead brightened existing stars, then the point that I noticed is in fact shown in your enhanced version. Approx 1/4 of the way over from the Left Side and about 1/10 the way up from the bottom

[harry]

Hello createrchains

Mate I just posted moon assoc links

and if you read my comments.