Nebula becomes the star of the show
The other day, my favourite astronomy image-processing software updated itself — as these things tend to do without so much as a by-your-leave — and presented me with a shiny new feature: "Remove Stars".
Now, if you're anything like me — a person who has spent the better part of a life peering upward with wonder at the glittering scatter of the night sky — this seemed a bit like installing a mute button on Beethoven's Ninth. I mean, remove the stars? What next — paint over the Mona Lisa's smile?
I confess I was sceptical. I've always preferred my astrophotography to tell the truth or as close to it as light bouncing through space and lenses allow. There's a certain honesty in the messy, crowded firmament — the riot of starlight that humbles and delights.
Still, curiosity got the better of me. I fed one of my most cherished images into the software — a photo of the glorious Eta Carinae Nebula, taken on a still night down south when the Milky Way hung above like spilt milk. I clicked Remove Stars, half-expecting the software to crash or, worse, mock me.
But then something strange and beautiful happened. As my monitor slowly revealed the processed image, I gasped.
Sans stars, the nebula came into sharp focus. Festoons of gas, swirled in vivid detail. Dark lanes of dust, previously obscured by the brightness of foreground stars, now had room to breathe. Shapes emerged — tendrils, knots, and shockwaves — revealing galactic stories written over millennia. The colours, too, appeared more painterly. It was, I must admit, breathtaking.
So now I'm torn. Are these newfangled tools a gift, helping us see more clearly? Or are they a distraction, pulling us away from the stars that inspired us in the first place? Maybe both. Maybe art and science needn't always be purist pursuits.
What do you think? Should we honour the heavens as they are, stars and all — or embrace the subtle art of digital enhancement to reveal new facets of the cosmos? As always, I welcome your thoughts, clear skies permitting.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Scoop
NZSO Classical Hits Tour From Kerikeri To Blenheim Begins 31 May
Journey from the hall of the mountain king to the Viennese countryside with a selection of classical music's greatest hits performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Manukau and Kerikeri from 31 May. Masterworks: Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn is part of the NZSO's annual Setting Up Camp tour, which includes daytime community performances and events in each centre where the orchestra plays. Led by NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd and featuring NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen as soloist for Mozart's exquisite Fifth Violin Concerto, Masterworks is an unmissable musical experience. The tour programme has been tailored for each centre. Along with Mozart's Violin Concerto, Wellington and Blenheim feature Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, including the instantly recognisable In the Hall of the Mountain King, Beethoven's beloved Sixth Symphony Pastoral and the world premiere of Kiwi composer Briar Prastiti's The Garden. The Manukau and Kerikeri concerts feature The Garden, Peer Gynt and Pastoral, along with Haydn's magnificent Symphony No. 100 Military. Nelson audiences will enjoy Military, Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto and, as a special treat, Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture. 'New Zealand is unrivalled in producing so much wonderful new music of all genres. Our programme includes The Garden by Briar Prastiti, a SOUNZ/Tarling Trust commission which establishes, alongside Grieg's Peer Gynt, an underlying presence of the natural world in our programme,' says Maestro Judd. 'Beethoven's love of nature inspired his Sixth Symphony, not merely at times as a vivid picture but more so representing the personal feelings we experience through the spirit of nature. 'Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, written at the age of 19, features as soloist the superb Concertmaster of the NZSO, Vesa-Matti Leppänen. Listen out for the third movement of this concerto with its delights from Türkiye.' Beyond the concerts, Setting Up Camp daytime performances and events include, in Nelson (6 June) and Manukau (10 June), NZSO Relaxed Concerts which cater for neurodivergent people of all ages who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional concert environment. Schools' Concerts take place in Wellington (29 May), Manukau (11 June), Whangārei (12 June) and Kerikeri (13 June). Side-by-Side concerts, where local musicians perform alongside NZSO players, will be held in Nelson (7 June) and Whangārei (12 June). Tickets to Masterworks range from $17 to $48. For more information go to – conductor Emilia Hoving, piano Javier Perianes. Wellington (17 July), Christchurch (19 July).
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Scoop
NZSO Classical Hits Tour From Kerikeri To Blenheim Begins 31 May
Journey from the hall of the mountain king to the Viennese countryside with a selection of classical music's greatest hits performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Manukau and Kerikeri from 31 May. Masterworks: Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn is part of the NZSO's annual Setting Up Camp tour, which includes daytime community performances and events in each centre where the orchestra plays. Led by NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd and featuring NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen as soloist for Mozart's exquisite Fifth Violin Concerto, Masterworks is an unmissable musical experience. The tour programme has been tailored for each centre. Along with Mozart's Violin Concerto, Wellington and Blenheim feature Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, including the instantly recognisable In the Hall of the Mountain King, Beethoven's beloved Sixth Symphony Pastoral and the world premiere of Kiwi composer Briar Prastiti's The Garden. The Manukau and Kerikeri concerts feature The Garden, Peer Gynt and Pastoral, along with Haydn's magnificent Symphony No. 100 Military. Nelson audiences will enjoy Military, Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto and, as a special treat, Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture. 'New Zealand is unrivalled in producing so much wonderful new music of all genres. Our programme includes The Garden by Briar Prastiti, a SOUNZ/Tarling Trust commission which establishes, alongside Grieg's Peer Gynt, an underlying presence of the natural world in our programme,' says Maestro Judd. 'Beethoven's love of nature inspired his Sixth Symphony, not merely at times as a vivid picture but more so representing the personal feelings we experience through the spirit of nature. 'Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, written at the age of 19, features as soloist the superb Concertmaster of the NZSO, Vesa-Matti Leppänen. Listen out for the third movement of this concerto with its delights from Türkiye.' Beyond the concerts, Setting Up Camp daytime performances and events include, in Nelson (6 June) and Manukau (10 June), NZSO Relaxed Concerts which cater for neurodivergent people of all ages who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional concert environment. Schools' Concerts take place in Wellington (29 May), Manukau (11 June), Whangārei (12 June) and Kerikeri (13 June). Side-by-Side concerts, where local musicians perform alongside NZSO players, will be held in Nelson (7 June) and Whangārei (12 June). Tickets to Masterworks range from $17 to $48. For more information go to COMING UP NYO Adventure: Rachmaninov & Strauss – conductor Adam Johnson, soprano Madison Horman. Wellington (5 July), Auckland (6 July). – conductor Emilia Hoving, piano Javier Perianes. Wellington (17 July), Christchurch (19 July).
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Nebula becomes the star of the show
The other day, my favourite astronomy image-processing software updated itself — as these things tend to do without so much as a by-your-leave — and presented me with a shiny new feature: "Remove Stars". Now, if you're anything like me — a person who has spent the better part of a life peering upward with wonder at the glittering scatter of the night sky — this seemed a bit like installing a mute button on Beethoven's Ninth. I mean, remove the stars? What next — paint over the Mona Lisa's smile? I confess I was sceptical. I've always preferred my astrophotography to tell the truth or as close to it as light bouncing through space and lenses allow. There's a certain honesty in the messy, crowded firmament — the riot of starlight that humbles and delights. Still, curiosity got the better of me. I fed one of my most cherished images into the software — a photo of the glorious Eta Carinae Nebula, taken on a still night down south when the Milky Way hung above like spilt milk. I clicked Remove Stars, half-expecting the software to crash or, worse, mock me. But then something strange and beautiful happened. As my monitor slowly revealed the processed image, I gasped. Sans stars, the nebula came into sharp focus. Festoons of gas, swirled in vivid detail. Dark lanes of dust, previously obscured by the brightness of foreground stars, now had room to breathe. Shapes emerged — tendrils, knots, and shockwaves — revealing galactic stories written over millennia. The colours, too, appeared more painterly. It was, I must admit, breathtaking. So now I'm torn. Are these newfangled tools a gift, helping us see more clearly? Or are they a distraction, pulling us away from the stars that inspired us in the first place? Maybe both. Maybe art and science needn't always be purist pursuits. What do you think? Should we honour the heavens as they are, stars and all — or embrace the subtle art of digital enhancement to reveal new facets of the cosmos? As always, I welcome your thoughts, clear skies permitting.
