One of the most frequent questions I get when I post images of space: "Are those colors real?"

The answer is no. Well, maybe. Kinda?

How ‘Real’ Are the Colors in Astronomical Images?

In colorful photographs of galaxies, stars, planets, and more, what you see isn’t necessarily what you get

Scientific American (www.scientificamerican.com)

🌜Galactic Stone🌛 A nebula would look like a thin, distant fog, if you were able to notice it at all.

And remember that the colours in scientific images aren’t there to sensationalize anything. They carry meaning, usually reflecting composition. They are data, not just documentary photography.