I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with images like this. It may be fake, but it’s still nice to look at and think about. I don’t like it, however, when these images are presented with no context clues that indicate that the photo has been manipulated. Or, in this case, a file name like “amazing-photo-of-earth-from-space.jpg”.
It’s obvious to a lot of people, especially if you spend a lot of time studying images of space, that this is a manipulated image. Based on the volume of questions I get about what space actually looks like, it certainly isn’t obvious to everyone.
In my years of amateurish space nerdery, I’ve realized that the general public doesn’t know much about space. Which means plenty of people wouldn’t have the specific information needed to understand why cameras cannot capture images like this one. Many will take it at face value. This instance may not be particularly dangerous, but misinformation becoming common knowledge is always less than ideal.
I can enjoy this image for what it is. I am not arguing in favor of eliminating photo manipulation to combat misconceptions. I do hope, however, that future generations go out into the world armed with the knowledge and curiosity to say, “Wow, sweet picture. I should check and see if it’s real.”
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