So when they show pictures of the outer planets...

[SaltyNuts]

... they generally look very lit-up. Almost like they get the same lighting as earth. But when they are so far from the sun, wouldn't they be very, very dark? Something is amiss...

 

[lxskllr]

Flash cubes

 

[SaltyNuts]

What's a flash cube?

 

[lxskllr]

What's a flash cube?

Like this...

But bigger

 

[SaltyNuts]

Isn't that a flash bulb?

And how would that work when the outer planets are so far away? It seems it would take waaaaay to long for the light from the flash bulbs to get there and back in time for the picture...

 

[lxskllr]

Nah, everything else is so dark, they work pretty good.

 

[SSSnail]

lol@lxskllr

 

[SaltyNuts]

That makes NO sense...

 

[dave_the_nerd]

That makes NO sense...

He's pulling your leg. The photos are usually doctored a bit, but there's enough light out there that the "real" thing is still plenty visible up close. And, for that matter, from far away.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQVm7p6LkdI

The images they got of Jupiter are excellent, considering they're using a telescope from Earth and not a billion dollar space probe.

 

[IronWing]

I know we just did this thread with the Pluto mission. I haven't been able to find it though.