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curiousuburb
Antimatter Man
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: that interweb thing
 
2009-09-01, 13:51

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca View Post
g, that picture looks like it must be simulated... there's no way a tiny settlement like Resolute would make enough light to be visible from space.
Depends when the pic was taken in the lunar cycle and what the exposure was.

Resolute is above the Circle, so total darkness for 6 months of the year. Ergo, artificially lit up 24/7/6months in radical contrast to the nearest 1000 km.

To get the contrast of blue ice we see (presumably moonlit), it's possible the camera/lens/photoshop in that wide shot was stopped open/adjusted so far that a floodlit square mile anywhere totally dark would register. Under optimum* conditions I'd expect to see big diamond mines on better lenses, and by the look of the 400mm shots, even oil platforms. There are shots of 9/11 from ISS with big lenses, in addition to smoke plumes from regional fires and volcanoes, etc. but in addition to the custom rig built for the latest shots, the 'seeing' conditions vary and some subjects are only revealed under the right conditions.

*The Earth at Night shot is actually a composite of hundreds of images over quite a timespan in order to get cloud-free shots. Post-processing beyond stitching happens, too.

Still cool, though.

All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

Last edited by curiousuburb : 2009-09-01 at 14:11.
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