Would a human be able to see a nebula if they were close enough?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a human could see a nebula if they were close enough, specifically addressing the visibility of nebulae like the Pillars of Creation and the Andromeda Galaxy from various distances. It explores the limitations of human vision compared to telescope imagery, focusing on aspects such as brightness and color perception.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how close one would need to be to the Pillars of Creation for it to fill their field of view, suggesting several hundred light years might be necessary.
  • Another participant states that the visibility of a nebula depends on its brightness, noting that the Orion Nebula is near the edge of human visual range and would be visible if closer.
  • A participant expresses confusion about the nature of nebula images, questioning what is actually seen in telescope photographs compared to human vision.
  • It is pointed out that telescope images show nebulae as they appear to cameras, which are more sensitive than human eyes, leading to a significant difference in appearance.
  • Discussion includes the fact that human night vision is less sensitive to color, which affects how nebulae are perceived visually.
  • One participant emphasizes the size of the Andromeda Galaxy, noting it appears much larger than the full moon but questioning its visibility to the naked eye.
  • Another participant suggests that brightness and color are the main differences between telescope views and human eye views, reiterating the challenge of finding the Andromeda Galaxy in the night sky.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that brightness and color perception are critical factors in visualizing nebulae, but there is no consensus on the specifics of visibility or the implications of telescope imagery versus human perception.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in human vision, particularly regarding sensitivity to light and color, but does not resolve the implications of these limitations on the visibility of nebulae from various distances.

esvion
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Would the human eye be able to pick up a picture from the Hubble Telescope unaided if it were close enough? For instance, how close would I have to be to the Pillars of Creation in order for it to fill my entire field of view if I were floating in outer space? I assume several hundred light years away from it in order for me to be able perceive something so massive in my field of view, but if I am that far away can the human eye even see things that far away in space?

Thanks!
 
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It's really a matter of brightness of the nebula. The Orion Nebula is right on the edge of the human visual range and would be visible easily if we were closer to it. But no nebula would ever look anything like what a telescope photo looks like.
 
Oh wow, I suddenly feel really gullible: then what is it we're seeing in those nebula pictures?
 
mr. vodka said:
Oh wow, I suddenly feel really gullible: then what is it we're seeing in those nebula pictures?
What do you mean? What does gullibility have to do with anything? Obviously, when we see a picture of a nebula taken through a telescope, we're seeing the nebula as it looks to a telescope with a camera. Since human eyes are nowhere near as sensitive as a telescope with a camera, what it looks like to the naked eye is nothing like what it looks like to a telescope with a camera. It shouldn't be distressing to find that out.

Besides the brightness itself, our vision at night is almost completely devoid of color because the sensitivity of our eyes to color is much lower than the sensitivity to monochromatic light.

Consider the Andromeda Galaxy. It is so big in the sky that it dwarfs the full moon - it is something like 4x as big. But does it look anything like this to your eyes?: http://artsandsciences.ca/wp-conten..._-_The_Andromeda_Galaxy_M31_Spyral_Galaxy.jpg
 
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Okay I thought you were implying we're actually looking (with the telescopes) with different frequencies (like IR) and translating them back to visible light. If not, what could be the difference between a telescope view and a human eye view?... (must be missing something obvious here)
 
Like I said, brightness and color. Again, consider the Andromeda Galaxy. It's up right now and it's huge. But I bet if you go outside you wouldn't even be able to find it!
 

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