One of the oldest queries about the photos on the moon surface is the lack of visible stars. The conspiracy theorists say that this is clear evidence that the surface photograph were carried out on earth. Because:

The conspiracy theorists say

• Stars should be clearly visible in the atmosphere free environment of the moon, so here is evidence that the photographs were taken elsewhere i.e. a studio

• The configuration of the stars as would seen from the lunar surface would be too difficult to replicate in a studio so NASA left them out completely.

My response

• Should we be surprised by "star free" photographs? No, to be able to take in the light from stars you need a long exposure time and complete darkness. If you stand outside on a clear night you can see stars but they are difficult to photograph. If you then tried to do this whilst stood near to a street light then the task would be impossible. The same scenario is true on the moon. Stars were visible but were virtually impossible to photograph.

  
  

• If you have a copy of PaintShop Pro ( or similar ) then visit the NASA Image Library and look at the photos. If you manipulate the images, by enhancing them or looking at the negative image, often you will be able to pick out the faint traces of the lost stars.