ISS Star Visibility Misconception Explained

ISS Star Visibility Misconception Explained | Generated by AI

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Translation and Summary of the Chinese Text

The provided text is a post or article written in Chinese that discusses a perceived misconception (or conspiracy theory) about visibility of stars in space, particularly in photos and videos from the International Space Station (ISS). Here’s a direct, faithful English translation:

Someone says they’ve discovered that photos and videos from the International Space Station are all the same—they’re always daytime scenes with no visible stars, just like on Earth—and so they conclude that the ISS is real. Now, some popular science content is also telling everyone about this, so I think it’s necessary to explain it.

In space, stars are visible not only at “night” but also during “daytime.” In fact, the concepts of “night” and “day” here only apply to Earth. There is no “daytime” in space.

This is because the sky in space is never white; it’s always black. Without air, sunlight can’t illuminate the sky, so there’s no “daytime.” The sky doesn’t become a bright surface light source, so starlight stands out clearly. Therefore, in space, we should always be able to see stars, and there would be a tremendous number of them.

Once you’re in space, Earth and the Sun are just two stars in the night sky. Between stars, it’s all black sky (space), which never brightens.

People in space can view Earth like we view the Moon—Earth has phases, just like the Moon. When the Moon is out, people on Earth can still see stars. Similarly, when Earth “lights up” in space (Earth’s daytime), people in space should still be able to see stars.

So, if popular science tells you “you can’t see stars during the daytime in space,” they’re lying to you. Their goal is to make you believe that the black sky in space photos means stars shouldn’t be visible, thereby covering up the truth that humans have never been to space.

In essence, the author is challenging what they see as misleading “popular science” explanations. They argue that space lacks an atmosphere to scatter sunlight (making the sky blue/white on Earth), so the space sky should remain eternally black, allowing stars to be visible at all times—regardless of the Sun’s or Earth’s position. The author uses analogies like Earth’s phases (visible from space, similar to lunar phases from Earth) and claims that denying constant star visibility is a deliberate deception to hide that space travel (like the ISS) is faked.

Factual Explanation: The Science of Stars in Space

The post raises a valid point about why the sky is black in space (no atmosphere to scatter sunlight), but it misrepresents the official scientific explanation and popular science outreach. No credible scientist or space agency claims you “can’t see stars during the daytime in space”—that’s a strawman argument often pushed in conspiracy circles. Instead, here’s the accurate breakdown:

1. No “Day” or “Night” in Space—But Visibility Depends on Conditions

You’re right that space has no true “daytime” or “nighttime” like Earth. The vacuum of space means sunlight doesn’t diffuse through an atmosphere to create a bright sky. The background is always pitch black.
Stars are visible from space at all times, including when the Sun is shining brightly nearby. Astronauts on the ISS (which orbits Earth every 90 minutes, experiencing 16 sunrises/sunsets per day) frequently report seeing thousands of stars—far more than from Earth’s surface due to no light pollution or atmospheric haze.
However, seeing faint stars requires your eyes (or a camera) to be adapted to low light. If you’re looking toward a bright source like the Sun, Earth, or the ISS itself, your pupils constrict, and faint starlight gets overwhelmed, just like how you can’t see stars during a sunny day on Earth.

2. Why Stars Often Don’t Show in ISS Photos and Videos

The “missing stars” in most ISS imagery isn’t evidence of fakery—it’s basic photography and camera exposure.
- Cameras (and human eyes) have a limited dynamic range: they can’t capture both super-bright objects (e.g., sunlit Earth or the white exterior of the ISS) and faint objects (distant stars) in the same shot without adjustments.
- To photograph bright scenes, cameras use short exposures and small apertures. This lets in enough light for the foreground but blocks out dim stars, which need longer exposures (seconds or more) to register.
- Example: It’s like taking a photo of a lit Christmas tree at night— the tree glows, but background stars vanish unless you underexpose the tree.
This is the same reason Apollo Moon photos lack stars: exposures were set for the brightly lit lunar surface, not the dark sky.

3. **Proof Stars Are Visible from the ISS**

Astronauts capture stars regularly. For instance:
- Time-lapse videos from the ISS show streaking stars during orbital night.
- Photos exist of star fields, auroras, and Milky Way views from the Cupola module.
- ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet has shared breathtaking footage of stars visible even against Earth’s glow.
Live streams and reports confirm: Shield your eyes from direct sunlight/Earthshine, and stars pop into view—brighter and more numerous than on Earth.

4. Addressing the Conspiracy Angle

Claims that “NASA lies about daytime stars to hide fake space travel” stem from moon-landing hoaxes and flat-Earth theories. These ignore:
- Independent verification: Amateur radio operators track the ISS, and telescopes image it passing overhead.
- Thousands of astronauts, scientists, and engineers from 15+ nations have worked on the ISS since 1998—no global cover-up is feasible.
- Long-exposure photos do show stars in space imagery when settings allow it.
Popular science (e.g., from NASA or ESA) explains exposure issues to educate, not deceive. The post confuses this with denial of stars’ existence.

If you’re interested in seeing real ISS star photos, check NASA’s gallery or apps like the ISS Live tracker. Space is awe-inspiringly real—stars included!

References

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