Space isn't as colorful as photos make it seem

The colorful images from the James Webb Space Telescope are quite different from the grayscale version of the night sky that we can see with our own eyes. The Webb can see so far into deep space and time by using by looking at it in infrared light which we are unable to see. Astronomers use computers to assign colors to the data collected by the telescope to produce stunning images from many billions of light years from our little planet.

Class discussion: How have technological changes over the centuries changed our perceptions both our world and the universe? What was the impact on humanity’s world view when first telescopes were pointed at the sky? Can you imagine the wonder of people seeing the first photographs and motion pictures? How else are we using computers to help us visualize data that would otherwise be invisible to us? Can those computer images help save lives?