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  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

The Blog Issue

The Blog Issue
The Blog Issue Colorful and stunningly beautiful images of the cosmos have become a part of our everyday lives. Some viewers take them for granted as a natural outcome of our increasing technical prowess. But others ask, “Is that real?” In “Colors In Planetary Imaging,” astronomer and astrophotographer Travis Rector describes the processes that lead to these breathtaking—and very real—views of our universe. This portrait of the Horsehead Nebula was taken with the National Science Foundation’s 0.9-meter telescope on Arizona’s Kitt Peak using the National Optical Astronomy Observatory’s Mosaic CCD camera. T.A. Rector (NOAO / AURA / NSF) and Hubble Heritage Team (NASA / STScI / AURA)