How do we observe that which we cannot experience directly? Whether
searching the surfaces of distant worlds or revealing the image of a black
hole, science seeks to extend our perception ever further. Whereas specific
aspects of photography traditionally have been considered suspect as used
for science, imaging have within the last few decades become a major tool
for research. However the further we seek, the more subjective perception
itself may become a metaphor for reality. In culture in general the image is
starting to replace reality, never mind its truth value. The value of an image
is paradoxical: it can be immense, its significance immeasurable, and at the
same time, because of their overwhelming volume, the cultural value of images
is deflating.
What can we learn about ourselves by observing outer space? Public interest
in space travel have come in surges throughout history. The first Mars program
was founded around the same time as the Manhattan nuclear project,
while today the devastating effect human activities has on the environment
drives a new obsession for space travel and utopian envisions of colonies on
the Moon and Mars. The search for extraterrestrial life seems partly driven
by a sense of urgency to understand our own place in the universe, and to
what extent our earthly circumstances are unique. How we photograph space
seems to underline that no matter how far we look out we end up seeing ourselves.