These composite (fake) images do no service to astronomy

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 7:58:40 AM UTC+1, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

Sure the image doesn't do any service but you haven't identified why the composite is obstructive nor is anyone else likely to.

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 2:58:40 AM UTC-4, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

It is rather unfortunate that the image of the waxing gibbous Moon was so "seamlessly" placed in that fake photo. Using a border to separate the planets' images from the Moon's would have been far more appropriate and correct.

On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:58:40 PM UTC-7, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

In this case I disagree. Had you linked to the original page...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150702.html

.... you could have read... "Imaged that night with the same telescope and camera, the rising Moon from the opposite part of the sky is compared with the planetary conjunction for scale in the digitally composited image. The full lunar disk covers an angle of about 1/2 degree on the sky."

The imager did this only to show folks who, for whatever reason, couldn't view this magnificent conjunction for themselves, to demonstrate just how close these planets appeared to be on June 30th.

Sure, the picture is an admitted fake, but was created for a noble reason.

\Paul A

palsing wrote:
On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:58:40 PM UTC-7, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

In this case I disagree. Had you linked to the original page...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150702.html

... you could have read... "Imaged that night with the same telescope and
camera, the rising Moon from the opposite part of the sky is compared
with the planetary conjunction for scale in the digitally composited
image. The full lunar disk covers an angle of about 1/2 degree on the sky."

The imager did this only to show folks who, for whatever reason, couldn't
view this magnificent conjunction for themselves, to demonstrate just how
close these planets appeared to be on June 30th.

Sure, the picture is an admitted fake, but was created for a noble reason.

\Paul A

I agree with Snell. There should have been a border. Images like this can
keep turning up on the internet like the unfortunate Mars will look as big
as the Moon fiasco.

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 11:51:19 AM UTC-7, Mike Collins wrote:
palsing wrote:
On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:58:40 PM UTC-7, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

In this case I disagree. Had you linked to the original page...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150702.html

... you could have read... "Imaged that night with the same telescope and
camera, the rising Moon from the opposite part of the sky is compared
with the planetary conjunction for scale in the digitally composited
image. The full lunar disk covers an angle of about 1/2 degree on the sky."

The imager did this only to show folks who, for whatever reason, couldn't
view this magnificent conjunction for themselves, to demonstrate just how
close these planets appeared to be on June 30th.

Sure, the picture is an admitted fake, but was created for a noble reason.

\Paul A

I agree with Snell. There should have been a border. Images like this can
keep turning up on the internet like the unfortunate Mars will look as big
as the Moon fiasco.

You make a good argument, but a border might have made the intended 'actual' size comparison not as apparent as it is without a border. A picture with another bordered inserted picture does not necessarily indicate that the image scale is the same for each photo subject. I might also point out that this picture COULD have been the Real Thing, but I'm sure that such occasions are very rare.

In any case, I loved the picture, even knowing it was a fake, and I personally thought it indeed served a useful purpose. YMMV.

\Paul A

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 3:53:15 PM UTC-4, palsing wrote:


I might also point out that this picture COULD have been the Real Thing, but I'm sure that such occasions are very rare.

When viewed from the Earth, a nearly-full Moon NEVER appears THAT close to Venus!

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 2:05:13 PM UTC-4, palsing wrote:
On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:58:40 PM UTC-7, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...WangLetian.jpg

In this case I disagree. Had you linked to the original page...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150702.html

... you could have read... "Imaged that night with the same telescope and
camera, the rising Moon from the opposite part of the sky is compared with the
planetary conjunction for scale in the digitally composited image. The full
lunar disk covers an angle of about 1/2 degree on the sky."

Those who cannot read English might not get the joke.

Mike Collins:
I agree with Snell. There should have been a border. Images like this can
keep turning up on the internet like the unfortunate Mars will look as big
as the Moon fiasco.

That wasn't a fiasco; it was a hoax that was spread by the unschooled
and uncurious. I don't think anybody was harmed by it, though
self-righteous amateur astronomers got pretty steamed.

--
I agree with almost everything that you have said and almost everything that
you will say in your entire life.

usenet *at* davidillig dawt cawm

On Thursday, 2 July 2015 14:05:13 UTC-4, palsing wrote:
On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:58:40 PM UTC-7, RichA wrote:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1507...angLetian..jpg

In this case I disagree. Had you linked to the original page...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150702.html

... you could have read... "Imaged that night with the same telescope and camera, the rising Moon from the opposite part of the sky is compared with the planetary conjunction for scale in the digitally composited image. The full lunar disk covers an angle of about 1/2 degree on the sky."

The imager did this only to show folks who, for whatever reason, couldn't view this magnificent conjunction for themselves, to demonstrate just how close these planets appeared to be on June 30th.

Sure, the picture is an admitted fake, but was created for a noble reason..

\Paul A

In less than a year, the image will drifting around, no captions, for people who are dull to believe.