Who is responsible for editing photos taken from space? How do they decide to enhance them?

1 Answer
May 30, 2016

No one edits them, and the individual observing them can decide how they want them enhanced.

Explanation:

When a satellite takes a photo the image is captured and saved unedited. Normally they are never "edited", since that implies changes which are not made. They are however enhanced.

From a meteorological stand point, we receive the data and it is displayed, then we can enhance them with any number of filters to enhance different wavelengths. The original data is always available and so the individual observing it can choose whatever enhancement he/she wants and then they can change it and look at it in many different enhancements.

I assume that the same can be said for pictures of the cosmos. The original data will always be available, in case the person observing may want to try a different filter.