NASA caught Photoshopping an image of Saturn's moons.

What are they tryinh to hide?

io9

conspiracy theorist noticed that an image in NASA's Astronomy Picture Of The Day had noticeable Photoshop brushstrokes in it, when you turned up the contrast. Is there a mysterious object hiding near Saturn's moons?

Check out the official image of Dione and Titan, above. A YouTube user named DominatorPS3 turned up the contrast on the image, and discovered brush strokes. You can just about see a "rainbow aura" around the object that's been blacked out.

As quoted by Fox News, DominatorPS3 said: "More solid proof of NASA/ government cover-ups. And this is recent. You can do this yourself!!"

Dominator PS3's tell-all YouTube video has been taken down, allegedly because he received death threats. But he's put up a follow-up video, which you can watch here.

NASA's Emily Lakdawalla, who was responsible for the photoshopping, explained it over at Planetary.org:

Cassini takes color pictures by snapping three sequential photos through red, green, and blue filters. In the time that separated the three frames, Dione moved, so if I did a simple color composite I would be able to make Titan look right, but not Dione; or Dione look right, but not Titan. So I aligned Dione, cut it out, and then aligned Titan, and then had to account for the missing bits of shadow where the bits of Dione had been in two of the three channels.

She explains the process further here, showing how some other images of Saturn and its moons have been photoshopped — but she didn't post any raw images of the Dione/Titan image that caused the controversy. So at least some conspiracy theorists were not appeased, demanding to see the raw images.

What do you think? Did NASA really try to hide evidence of extraterrestrial life by photoshopping a picture — and then making that picture is Astronomy Picture Of The Day, just to confuse us further? It's so crazy, it might just be true! [Fox News]

They couldn't just be cleaning up an image? I believe in intelligent life elsewhere, but this new alien fad is getting out of control. It's more annoying than the swine flu and earthquake fads combined.

maybe NASA is run by aliens? :shock:

Conspiracy theorists :)

OMG NASA photoshopped an image...it must be because they are trying to hide proof of aliens.

It would be a lot simpler to just not release the image at all, but noooooooooo, apparently that is too easy.

who cares??? i mean really who cares.....

Conspiracy theorists :)

OMG NASA photoshopped an image...it must be because they are trying to hide proof of aliens.

It would be a lot simpler to just not release the image at all, but noooooooooo, apparently that is too easy.

SUD123456

Am I missing something? How would photoshopping one of Saturn's moons prove alien existence?

You can photoshop Earth's moon, and you would still have no idea that people are living on earth. Photoshop the crap out of it, what does that prove in relation to humans living on Earth, or aliens elsewhere?

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

DominatorPS3: the most trusted name in news!xaos

Maybe a nasa worker spilled paint on it. Or maybe the photos aren't "picture perfect". I doubt they would make it that easy to find if they were trying to cover something up. In fact they wouldn't release the pic at all.

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

Capitan_Kid

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

Capitan_Kid

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

Capitan_Kid

They couldn't just be cleaning up an image? I believe in intelligent life elsewhere, but this new alien fad is getting out of control. It's more annoying than the swine flu and earthquake fads combined.

Pirate700

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

Capitan_Kid

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

They couldn't just be cleaning up an image? I believe in intelligent life elsewhere, but this new alien fad is getting out of control. It's more annoying than the swine flu and earthquake fads combined.

Bluestorm-Kalas

They do it all the time, do you really think this is real?

They're definitely trying to hide the existance of aliens. It's all part of NASA's sinister plot to appear less and less relevant to the decision-makers in Washington.

They have to be up to something if they're not showing us original images...

DominatorPS3: the most trusted name in news!xaos

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

Pirate700

Yes. F'sho bro. It makes sense doesnt it?

Great Scott! They found the Monolith!

They couldn't just be cleaning up an image? I believe in intelligent life elsewhere, but this new alien fad is getting out of control. It's more annoying than the swine flu and earthquake fads combined.

Pirate700

What a surprise! You're against the belief the government keeps secrets..

FYI: You don't need to post. I barely come to OT and even I know your stance on subjects regarding government and secrecy so it's safe to say everyone else knows.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

They couldn't just be cleaning up an image? I believe in intelligent life elsewhere, but this new alien fad is getting out of control. It's more annoying than the swine flu and earthquake fads combined.

Rez89x

What a surprise! You're against the belief the government keeps secrets..

FYI: You don't need to post. I barely come to OT and even I know your stance on subjects regarding government and secrecy so it's safe to say everyone else knows.

Yes, clearly NASA is staging a massive cover-up by putting up this picture as the ****ing picture of the day when they could instead have just deleted it and no one would've been the wiser.

Yes, clearly NASA is staging a massive cover-up by putting up this picture as the ****ing picture of the day when they could instead have just deleted it and no one would've been the wiser.

GabuEx

Yes, clearly NASA is staging a massive cover-up by putting up this picture as the ****ing picture of the day when they could instead have just deleted it and no one would've been the wiser.

GabuEx

Of course. Im sure this also has something to do with the moon landing.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

Yes, clearly NASA is staging a massive cover-up by putting up this picture as the ****ing picture of the day when they could instead have just deleted it and no one would've been the wiser.

Capitan_Kid

Of course. Im sure this also has something to do with the moon landing.

I can totally see the logical connection.

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

Pirate700

Yeah its a conspiracy even though we can see the landing site as well as the stuff left there including a flag..

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

Yes, clearly NASA is staging a massive cover-up by putting up this picture as the ****ing picture of the day when they could instead have just deleted it and no one would've been the wiser.

GabuEx

Of course. Im sure this also has something to do with the moon landing.

I can totally see the logical connection.

The moon itself is photoshopped!

If you look into a telescope and gaze at the moon, you willnotice distinct and intricate brush strokes.

:|:P:o

lol death threats.KiIIyou

I've heard the claim of YouTube users receiving death threats before. The last time I heard about it was with this one fundamentalist Christian, and it turned out that the person did not in fact receive any death threats, and had claimed as much in order to get sympathy, attention, and credibility for his position.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

IF they photoshopped this. Whos to say they didnt make up the moon landing? More proof showing its a lie,,,,,,

sSubZerOo

Yeah its a conspiracy even though we can see the landing site as well as the stuff left there including a flag..

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]Wow...seriously dude?

Capitan_Kid

Yeah its a conspiracy even though we can see the landing site as well as the stuff left there including a flag..

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

[QUOTE="KiIIyou"]lol death threats.GabuEx

I've heard the claim of YouTube users receiving death threats before. The last time I heard about it was with this one fundamentalist Christian, and it turned out that the person did not in fact receive any death threats, and had claimed as much in order to get sympathy, attention, and credibility for his position.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]Wow...seriously dude?

Capitan_Kid

Yeah its a conspiracy even though we can see the landing site as well as the stuff left there including a flag..

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

WE CAN take shots from observatories of the site...

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Yeah its a conspiracy even though we can see the landing site as well as the stuff left there including a flag..

sSubZerOo

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

WE CAN take shots from observatories of the site...

no, all you're seeig is another NASA photoshop

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

[QUOTE="KiIIyou"]lol death threats.PannicAtack

I've heard the claim of YouTube users receiving death threats before. The last time I heard about it was with this one fundamentalist Christian, and it turned out that the person did not in fact receive any death threats, and had claimed as much in order to get sympathy, attention, and credibility for his position.

Oh yeah, that was his name.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

Yes, clearly NASA is staging a massive cover-up by putting up this picture as the ****ing picture of the day when they could instead have just deleted it and no one would've been the wiser.

xaos

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

Dr_Manfattan

WE CAN take shots from observatories of the site...

no, all you're seeig is another NASA photoshop

This guy gets it! Flags dont wave in space bro. Common logic.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]Wow...seriously dude?

Capitan_Kid

Yeah its a conspiracy even though we can see the landing site as well as the stuff left there including a flag..

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="Capitan_Kid"]

The flag was waving. How can it do that in a place with no air?

Dr_Manfattan

WE CAN take shots from observatories of the site...

no, all you're seeig is another NASA photoshop

Except NASA doesn't own every observatory in the world.. There are numerous independent ones.. THEY MUST ALL BE IN ON IT!

[QUOTE="Dr_Manfattan"]

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

WE CAN take shots from observatories of the site...

Capitan_Kid

no, all you're seeig is another NASA photoshop

This guy gets it! Flags dont wave in space bro. Common logic.

Common logic BRO, there is no friction in the void of space near the moon.. Meaning the movement of the flag was caused by the man putting it in place..

[QUOTE="Dr_Manfattan"]

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

WE CAN take shots from observatories of the site...

Capitan_Kid

no, all you're seeig is another NASA photoshop

This guy gets it! Flags dont wave in space bro. Common logic.