A photograph, an artist's concept, a simulation, and a scientific diagram can all be useful — but they do not make the same claim. Tap each card below for a real example.
OBSERVATIONAsk which telescope, spacecraft, wavelength, date, and processing steps produced the image or measurement.
Tap for an example ▾MODEL / SIMULATIONAsk which variables were simplified, whether time or distance is compressed, and which data constrain the model.
Tap for an example ▾ILLUSTRATIONUseful for things we cannot photograph directly. A trustworthy source should label an artist's concept or schematic clearly.
Tap for an example ▾Many NASA images use "false color" — mapping infrared, X-ray, or radio data onto colors human eyes can see. The colors are not what your eye would see.
A single "photo" is often several exposures through different filters, stacked and aligned in software before publication.
Captions rarely restate it, but nearly every published image is cropped, rotated, or rescaled for readability.
Which site to open for homework.
See the same observation/model/illustration distinctions applied to the 3D solar system.
Where to verify a claim once you know what kind of image you're looking at.