Why when we photograph the sky from earth do we see millions of stars that are lightyears away but every picture I have seen taken by astronauts in space the sky is black and starless?
It's purely incidental. You can find plenty of photos taken by astronauts where the stars are quite visible. You just don't see very many, because most photos are taken while a well-lit object is in the foreground of the shot, like the Earth, a spacewalking astronaut, or a piece of the ISS.
The Short Answer
It's purely incidental. You can find plenty of photos taken by astronauts where the stars are quite visible. You just don't see very many, because most photos are taken while a well-lit object is in the foreground of the shot, like the Earth, a spacewalking astronaut, or a piece of the ISS. Under these conditions, taking a long exposure to also capture the stars would just white or blur out the shot. I'll use an example. Stand under a street lamp, point your camera towards the sky, and try to capture both the light from the lamp and the stars. In all likelihood, the best you'll be able to do is a short exposure that captures the lamp and blackens the sky.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Stars, lamp, photos
This explanation focuses on stars, lamp, photos and spans 122 words across 7 sentences. At 79% above the average Space & Astronomy explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “It's purely incidental.” It then elaborates by explaining the root cause, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.
How This Compares in Space & Astronomy
Ranked #67 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by answer depth (top 14%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why why when we photograph the sky from earth do we see millions of stars that are lightyears away but every picture i have seen taken by astronauts in space the sky is black and starless?
It's purely incidental. You can find plenty of photos taken by astronauts where the stars are quite visible. You just don't see very many, because most photos are taken while a well-lit object is in the foreground of the shot, like the Earth, a…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Space & Astronomy questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 122 words, ranked #67 of 500 Space & Astronomy questions by depth. The key concepts covered are stars, lamp, photos.
What approach does this answer take to explain why when we photograph the sky from earth do we see millions?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and concrete examples across 122 words. It is categorized under Space & Astronomy and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.