On this day, 20 years ago and a billion miles from here, the Cassini spacecraft had reached a point in its approach to Saturn where the planet and its rings just exactly filled the field of view of our highest resolution telescope, the narrow angle camera (NAC). From that point onward, imaging the rings end-to-end with the NAC would require a mosaic of multiple images. So, I thought back then that it would be nice to mark this special ‘last eyeful’ turning point with the release to the public of a color image.
Oh good! If people like you are happy, then I'll continue. And if you could spread the word so that others subscribe, that would be awesome! Thanks much.
Thank you for that advice, Karen. But I have SO MANY STORIES to tell that I'm not too worried about dribbling these tid bits out. Also, there hopefully will be many more people who will read the book than those collected here on Substack. So I will repeat and enhance in the book the stories I tell here. My biggest concern is that I have SO MUCH to say that it won't all fit in one book. Not sure what the publisher will say about that.
I remember that first colour image of Jupiter, with Europa's shadow on it. I excitedly showed my colleagues in the law firm I was working in at the time. They were like, "very interesting. Maybe get back to work, though."
Thanks Carolyn for sharing this piece on color correction of space images. Relating to this,about the time I joined JPL, the Viking spacecraft had just landed on Mars, and at the inevitable news conference where the first pictures from the surface were released, the initial picture was toned so that the sky appeared blue. I believe it was Bill Hartmann, who was in the audience, raised the question, "since the sky brightness is dominated by light scattered from dust and not molecules, why is the sky blue and not the red color of the dust?" That may have been one of the first shocks that led to JPL at least getting serious about color balance.
Hi Al! I hope you like getting my newsletter. I'd be interested in what you think about the one entitled 'Nuclear Power to the People'. It's tagged under the menu item 'Love the Earth'.
About color, I remember that business about the blue sky on Mars. I was at Caltech, a grad student of 2 years, and remember that night, watching one line after the other on the TV screen compose the image from the surface. JPL may have adjusted the sky on Mars after Hartmann pointed out the error but I can tell you, because I was there, there wasn't a whole lot of thinking about accurate color during Voyager days. Just recently, someone has claimed that Neptune is not that deep cerulean we have gotten used to over the last 34 years. THAT'S the kind of issue I meant to address in deciding to put in the effort to make it true color.
Carolyn, I used to tell my young daughters when we would look at Saturn through my telescope, that I firmly believed it was put there only for human eyes to see ! They are now in their 30s, and still jokingly say that, everytime we look at Saturn ! Thank you for these stories.
Interesting that seeing planet images in color didn't seem necessary back then. A "High 5" to Carolyn for making it important! And, to release the Saturn photo on John Lennon's 60th!
Thank you! But a correction ... it's not that no one thought of releasing images in color. But being careful to release images in true color wasn't one of the goals. And it was our first Cassini color image of *Jupiter and Europa* that were released on John Lennon's 60th.
Another correction of my own text ... It was our first Cassini color image, period. And it happened to be of Jupiter and Europa, and released on Lennon's 60th.
I am so happy you are doing this. I loved watching along with the mission and sharing it with my students. Thank you.
Oh good! If people like you are happy, then I'll continue. And if you could spread the word so that others subscribe, that would be awesome! Thanks much.
Thank you for sharing, really nice to read some of the insights into the program
I think you should be saving such wonderful stories for your book.
Thank you for that advice, Karen. But I have SO MANY STORIES to tell that I'm not too worried about dribbling these tid bits out. Also, there hopefully will be many more people who will read the book than those collected here on Substack. So I will repeat and enhance in the book the stories I tell here. My biggest concern is that I have SO MUCH to say that it won't all fit in one book. Not sure what the publisher will say about that.
Thanks for subscribing. I appreciate it.
I remember that first colour image of Jupiter, with Europa's shadow on it. I excitedly showed my colleagues in the law firm I was working in at the time. They were like, "very interesting. Maybe get back to work, though."
Thanks Carolyn for sharing this piece on color correction of space images. Relating to this,about the time I joined JPL, the Viking spacecraft had just landed on Mars, and at the inevitable news conference where the first pictures from the surface were released, the initial picture was toned so that the sky appeared blue. I believe it was Bill Hartmann, who was in the audience, raised the question, "since the sky brightness is dominated by light scattered from dust and not molecules, why is the sky blue and not the red color of the dust?" That may have been one of the first shocks that led to JPL at least getting serious about color balance.
Hi Al! I hope you like getting my newsletter. I'd be interested in what you think about the one entitled 'Nuclear Power to the People'. It's tagged under the menu item 'Love the Earth'.
About color, I remember that business about the blue sky on Mars. I was at Caltech, a grad student of 2 years, and remember that night, watching one line after the other on the TV screen compose the image from the surface. JPL may have adjusted the sky on Mars after Hartmann pointed out the error but I can tell you, because I was there, there wasn't a whole lot of thinking about accurate color during Voyager days. Just recently, someone has claimed that Neptune is not that deep cerulean we have gotten used to over the last 34 years. THAT'S the kind of issue I meant to address in deciding to put in the effort to make it true color.
Love the backstory!
Thanks!
This was such an exciting read!
Super stoked you’re writing a book! It’s so hard to wait. Thank you for your time and contributions to science and discoveries!
Fascinating reading again, many thanks Carolyn.
Carolyn, I used to tell my young daughters when we would look at Saturn through my telescope, that I firmly believed it was put there only for human eyes to see ! They are now in their 30s, and still jokingly say that, everytime we look at Saturn ! Thank you for these stories.
Nice! Why don't you have your daughters subscribe to this newsletter? Sounds like they might enjoy it.
Thank you
Typo--photo of Jupiter, not Saturn, on Lennon's birthday.
Interesting that seeing planet images in color didn't seem necessary back then. A "High 5" to Carolyn for making it important! And, to release the Saturn photo on John Lennon's 60th!
Thank you! But a correction ... it's not that no one thought of releasing images in color. But being careful to release images in true color wasn't one of the goals. And it was our first Cassini color image of *Jupiter and Europa* that were released on John Lennon's 60th.
Another correction of my own text ... It was our first Cassini color image, period. And it happened to be of Jupiter and Europa, and released on Lennon's 60th.