Why does NASA use black and white video

[e24ohm]

Folks:
I am not into film, or photos; however, I am having a hard time understanding why NASA would still use black and white for film and video. With all the advancements in photo/video compression - I would think color video/photos would not be hard to have, yet this could be only my lack of understanding the benefits of black and white photo/video.

Can anyone enlighten me on this topic?

[Ctrl-Alt-F1]

Yes it's all about how the photo-catatonic membrane of the lens commutes the approach of the atomic horizon...*runs off into the night screaming*

[Austin25]

What footage are you referring to?

[jrusso2]

There really are not a lot of colors in space and its easier to colorize the photo's later.

This cuts down on the amount of data to transmit.

[ve4cib]

Actually, according to an astronomy class I took in university, NASA's photos are taken in multiple black-and-white stages. To get the best resolution possible they take multiple images with different-coloured filters, resulting in multiple black-and-white images. Each image corresponds to a different portion of the spectrum. So you'd have one image that shows the blue range of the spectrum, another for red, another for green, and so on. You can also have infra-red, x-ray, ultraviolet, etc... filters (which often get used in the false-colour images you see from NASA.)

If you take a set of black-and-white images from different filters you can re-apply the colours, stack the images up, and get a true-colour image out the other end. But each individual filter results in a black-and-white image for that particular spectral range.

[mendhak]

Because black and white photos are more artistic.

[kahumba]

Moon Rising should give you some ideas but be prepared to be called conspiracy theorist (or so) by different people for different reasons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ3wh2cjekE

[Brunellus]

Actually, according to an astronomy class I took in university, NASA's photos are taken in multiple black-and-white stages. To get the best resolution possible they take multiple images with different-coloured filters, resulting in multiple black-and-white images. Each image corresponds to a different portion of the spectrum. So you'd have one image that shows the blue range of the spectrum, another for red, another for green, and so on. You can also have infra-red, x-ray, ultraviolet, etc... filters (which often get used in the false-colour images you see from NASA.)

If you take a set of black-and-white images from different filters you can re-apply the colours, stack the images up, and get a true-colour image out the other end. But each individual filter results in a black-and-white image for that particular spectral range.

This makes sense to me--particularly when dealing with wavelengths outside visible light, what does "color" really mean, anyway?

[Rasa1111]

Moon Rising should give you some ideas but be prepared to be called conspiracy theorist (or so) by different people for different reasons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ3wh2cjekE

Indeed.

Many people cannot accept new thoughts and/or ideas.
and so instantly throw them out with the bath water, so to speak.

One reason is because B&W images are easier/faster to transmit...
but that is not the 'main reason.' lol

You are not supposed to know what's really 'out there'..
and "they" prefer it if everyone were to keep believing the moon was grey.

Though it is not.

Here are the true colors of the moon.
Yes, it is true color, none added.
Only contrast enhanced to bring out the colors that are naturally there.
But the majority of people do still believe/think that the moon is dull and grey and colorless.
http://ubuntuforums.org/attachment.p...1&d=1283499787

[3rdalbum]

You are not supposed to know what's really 'out there'..
and "they" prefer it if everyone were to keep believing the moon was grey.

Though it is not.

Here are the true colors of the moon.
Yes, it is true color, none added.
Only contrast enhanced to bring out the colors that are naturally there.
But the majority of people do still believe/think that the moon is dull and grey and colorless.

Does NASA force the telescope manufacturers to implement a special secret filter in their optics that makes the moon look grey through telescopes without changing the colours of other objects?

Because the moon doesn't look anything like that through MY telescope. Or with the naked eye, for that matter.