Aesthetics and Astronomy: Studying the Public’s Perception and Understanding of Imagery From Space

Abstract

This study examined the scientific understanding of astronomical pictures by experts and nonexperts. It explored how both groups perceive astronomical images, and their understanding of both what they are seeing and the science that underlies the images. Data comprised n = 8866 responses from a survey linked to the NASA Astronomical Picture of the Day web site and 4 focus groups held at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Results indicated that variations in presentation of color, explanation, and scale affect comprehension of astronomical imagery. With those who are more expert, shorter, more technical explanations are effective; however, scales are still necessary for complete comprehension. Experts tend to look at the images from a more scientific, data-oriented perspective while non-experts are more likely to focus, especially initially, on the aesthetic or emotional values of the images. Results provide suggestions for educational outreach to the public. Aesthetics and Astronomy 3Aesthetics and Astronomy: Studying the public's perception and understanding of non-traditional imagery from space Some 400 years after Galileo, modern telescopes have enabled humanity to "see" what the natural eye cannot. Astronomical images today contain information about incredibly large objects located across vast distances and reveal information found in "invisible" radiation ranging from radio waves to X-rays. The current generation of telescopes has created an explosion of images available for the public to explore. This has, importantly, coincided with the maturation of the Internet. Every major telescope has a web site, often with an extensive gallery of images. New and free downloadable tools exist for members of the public to explore astronomical data and even create their own images.In short, a new era of an accessible universe has been entered, in which the public can participate and explore like never before. But there is a severe lack of scholarly and robust studies to probe how people -especially non-experts -perceive these images and the information they attempt to convey. Most astronomical images for the public have been processed (e.g., color choices, artifact removal, smoothing, cropping/field-of-view shown) to strike a balance between the science being highlighted and the aesthetics designed to engage the public. However, the extent to which these choices affect perception and comprehension is, at best, poorly understood. The goal of the studies presented here was to begin a program of research to better understand how people perceive astronomical images, and how such images, and the explanatory material that accompanies them, can best be presented to the public in terms of understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the images and the science that underlies them. The Perception of ImagesBecause the study of the perception of astronomical images is in its infancy, it is not Aesthetics and Astronomy 4 possible to draw directly on prior research. As a starting point, therefore, we look to t...

The landscape of online visual communication of science

“…All the statistical tools that the web provides make it possible to count how many people are reached by the contents published, how many like them and how many interact by sharing such contents with others, commenting and even modifying them. We can analyse the components of an image to establish its meanings, and how an astronomical picture coloured with different filters is perceived by the public, or define what role a caption plays in the understanding of a scientific image by different audiences [Smith et al, 2011].…”

The Aesthetics of Astrophysics: How to Make Appealing Color-composite Images that Convey the Science

“…Because stars are not visible in the X-ray data, it is not clear that the image on the left is astronomical. The image on the right is therefore more naturally interpreted by a non-expert viewer (Smith et al 2011). complex and intricate details that can show dramatic variations in line emission.…”

“…Familiar elements give the viewer a starting point for interpreting an image. For example, an important visual cue is the presence of stars, indicating that the image is astronomical (Smith et al 2011). Figure 6 shows an example.…”

“…When creating an image it is essential to consider what you wish for the image to convey. What meaning people will interpret when viewing the image is just as important question (Smith et al 2011), because the answers to these two questions are not necessarily the same. The study of the perception and comprehension across the expert to non-expert spectrum of viewers is therefore an important area of study.…”

“…While it is true that images can "overpower words" (Lazard & Atkinson 2014), astronomy images often require context to be understood. Images accompanied by a well-written, jargon-free narrative that tells a story can help make the science more attractive (Smith et al 2011(Smith et al , 2015. Also effective is the use of analogies and factors of relevancy to everyday life to help explain complex or foreign subject matter, and leading questions that draw the viewer into wanting to know more.…”