My kid asked why the stars in my photos don't look like the ones in her book

I was showing my 8 year old a picture I took of Orion's Belt from our backyard in Denver, and she pointed to a drawing in her science book saying 'Dad, your stars are just white dots, but the book shows all the colors.' I had to explain that our eyes can't see the colors well at night, but my camera sensor can pick them up if I take a long enough exposure. Has anyone else had a simple question make you think more about how you process your astrophotos?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_clark326d ago

Is this really a deep processing thing? You just explained how cameras work, which is pretty basic. Maybe you're overthinking a simple kid question.

harper_thompson1326d ago

You said it's just a basic camera explanation. But the kid asked why we see ourselves, not just a picture. That's the whole point. So what's your answer to that specific question? If it's so simple, give the simple version.

the_paul25d ago

Ever read about how mirrors don't actually flip things left to right? That's the same kind of brain twist. The kid's asking why the image feels like a "self" looking back, not just colors on glass. It's because your brain is wired to recognize faces, especially your own, as something alive and interactive. So the simple version is the mirror shows light, but your mind makes it a person.