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Why Can't You See The Stars In Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Space Video?

Why Can't You See The Stars In Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Space Video?

Anyone who has taken the time to check out Musk’s video will have noticed a distinct lack of stars in the background. But why?

Paddy Maddison

Paddy Maddison

Given the fact that certain conspiracy theorists - who believe a certain planet is a certain shape - are quite capable of inventing evidence that doesn't exist just to suit themselves, it should come as no surprise that the absence of stars in footage beamed from Elon Musk's space car has become something of a talking point.

Anyone who has taken the time to check out Musk's video will have noticed a distinct lack of stars in the background of the on-board footage, captured from the Tesla Roadster as it hurtles through space.


But, as most people probably realise already, the reason for the missing stars has a lot more to do with actual science than it does with the New World Order trying to pull the wool over our eyes, or whatever.

The stars are there, make no mistake. In fact, they will be much more easily visible for Musk's dummy roadster driver than they are for us here on Earth. So why can't we see them in the video?

The answer to that question lies in the science of photography, rather than - as you might reasonably have though - astronomy.

SpaceX

As anyone who's ever tried to use an expensive camera for the first time will no doubt attest to, photographs are a complete and utter pain in the crease to get right. There are so many variables to take into account and the minute you adjust one parameter, another one goes tits up. Take these obstacles to space and you're in for an even more difficult time.

The issue is that when compared to the light reflected by the Earth and the Moon, stars are actually not all that bright. To take good pictures in space you need to have a high shutter speed and a very short exposure, which means ol' Musky's dummy driver and the Earth are both clearly visible - but the stars often aren't.

SpaceX

You can replicate this issue for yourself at home to get an idea of what we mean. Simply head outside at night, take a photo of something, using the night sky as a back drop and notice how many of the stars disappear in your photograph.

Your move, Flat Earthers.

The car, meanwhile, is expected to continue hurtling through space indefinitely. Musk told reporters in a teleconference that he expects the Tesla to coast comfortably in outer space for hundreds of millions of years to come.

"At times it will come extremely close to Mars," he said. "And there's a tiny chance that it will hit Mars. Extremely tiny."

Featured Image Credit: SpaceX

Topics: Science, tesla, elon musk, space