The Reality of Astronomical Imaging
Often when we showcase our photos of objects in space, one of the first questions we get is, "Is that real?". Here, we attempt to answer this question without diving too deep into the "technical weeds".
Is it real?
This is a very common question, and the short answer is Yes! These are real photons captured by real cameras and processed with scientific calibration. We take artistic license with display decisions like the color palette and contrast to highlight specific elements of the object. This is where our photos deviate from "scientifically useful images" and fall into the category of "art". But this is real astronomical data being represented.
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The process of capturing these images has two stages; acquisition and processing. Astronomical Image processing, we break it down into two main categories: Pre-Processing and Post-Processing.
The first steps towards getting a usable image is acquisition of the data. This is where many of the decisions are made that will affect the final result.
Acquisition
The first steps towards getting a usable image is to Pre-Process. This is the more technical and "sciency" side.
Pre-Processing
After Pre-Processing this is where the "Artist" begins to make decisions on how best to display the data
Post-Processing