PetaPixel

Apple Photoshopped a Galaxy Out of Its Default Wallpaper Photo

 

Apple Photoshopped a Galaxy Out of Its Default Wallpaper Photo galaxy1

Apparently the universe isn’t perfect enough for Apple’s products. David Kaplan, a keen-eyed physics professor at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, noticed that an entire galaxy is missing from the image of the Andromeda Galaxy used as OS X Lion‘s default wallpaper.

Here’s a similar image of the Andromeda Galaxy captured by astrophotographer Adam Evans (hover your mouse over it to compare it to Apple’s version):

Apple Photoshopped a Galaxy Out of Its Default Wallpaper Photo galaxy3

Notice how the prominent galaxy M110 in the lower portion of the image has vanished completely. At least Apple sells technology products and not makeup.

(via Boing Boing)

Image credit: M31, the Andromeda Galaxy (now with h-alpha) by write_adam

 
 
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  • Bob

    somebody needs to get a life if finding this AND thinking it is noteworthy to mention.  
    PuuuuuuuulEEEEEEEEEase!

  • Joe

    seriously? you’re going to whine about someone posting this? It’s an interesting tidbit to some. If you don’t think it’s newsworthy, then move along. no need to whine about it.

  • Joe

    seriously? you’re going to whine about someone posting this? It’s an interesting tidbit to some. If you don’t think it’s newsworthy, then move along. no need to whine about it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=864165122 Guy Moorhouse

    Agree with Bob.
    And I can see why they would photoshop M110 out to be honest, it looks better without.
    It’s a bloody wallpaper not a map of the universe!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=864165122 Guy Moorhouse

    Agree with Bob.
    And I can see why they would photoshop M110 out to be honest, it looks better without.
    It’s a bloody wallpaper not a map of the universe!

  • http://twitter.com/davidpaskey David Paskey

    “Maybe the scientists just Photoshopped that galaxy IN!”
    –Mac Cult Member ;)

  • http://twitter.com/davidpaskey David Paskey

    “Maybe the scientists just Photoshopped that galaxy IN!”
    –Mac Cult Member ;)

  • http://twitter.com/davidpaskey David Paskey

    “Maybe the scientists just Photoshopped that galaxy IN!”
    –Mac Cult Member ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/matteo.domenico Matteo Domenico

    It seems we’ve just found an Apple fanboy… didn’t we?

  • http://www.facebook.com/matteo.domenico Matteo Domenico

    It seems we’ve just found an Apple fanboy… didn’t we?

  • http://www.facebook.com/matteo.domenico Matteo Domenico

    It seems we’ve just found an Apple fanboy… didn’t we?

  • MarkW

    Apple just took this photo from a different place in the universe that’s all.

  • http://twitter.com/hc5duke HJ Choi

    Breaking news: APPLE REJECTS GALAXY!

  • Galoxor

    first the Galaxy Tab, now the Galaxy… when will it end??

  • Confuzzlebot

    titbit* 
    I’m going to assume you’re American as it seems to be an American thing :P

  • Man with a camera

    I think, I have read here that even NASA scientists do some photoshop before releasing their space pictures.

  • http://www.casagli.com Alessandro Casagli

    why, WHY I’ve wasted my time reading this? BTW Apple is EVIL.

  • http://www.casagli.com Alessandro Casagli

    why, WHY I’ve wasted my time reading this? BTW Apple is EVIL.

  • Ranger 9

    Maybe the M110 galaxy didn’t sign the licensing agreement…

  • Anonymous

    Nuts!

  • Ranger 9

    Come to think of it, I can’t see anything from the M110 galaxy in Google Street View either. Privacy laws there must be VERY strict…

  • Bob

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………..

  • http://profiles.google.com/slimspidey Spider- Man

    Missing galaxy? There’s an app for that!

  • Anonymous

    Great item. People here need to realize that, to make the image correct for its use, Apple was correct in removing M110. Any art director worth his pay packet would have done the same. Absolutely correct decision.

  • Anonymous

    If you’d posted that first Bob nobody would have suspected you’re a fool.

  • Anonymous

    Sigh. Let’s review. As wallpaper on a computer screen an image cannot be too “busy.” It helps if it has a lot of uncluttered space but can still be read as a photo. Reflect that a common practice is to “save to the desktop.” If an image is too busy and does not have areas of very little image noise it is inefficient for use as a desktop. In essence, a good art director knows that he/she must clean up wallpaper so that the user can clutter it up. It’s a balance between impact and lucidity and utility. It’s not about making things accurate. That’s what we have APOD.com for.

  • http://www.facebook.com/mjardeen Michael Jardeen

    +100

  • http://www.facebook.com/mjardeen Michael Jardeen

    +100

  • http://www.facebook.com/mjardeen Michael Jardeen

    +100

  • Bob

    :-)

  • Bob

    The nerd glasses are starting to make a LOT of sense, now.

  • Chris

    I might agree in terms of “mentioning it”.  But finding it isn’t difficult – M31 is one of the most famous galaxies in the night sky.  Almost any amateur astronomer (myself included) should have been easily able to tell that M110 was missing in the Apple image.  :P

  • Chris

    I might agree in terms of “mentioning it”.  But finding it isn’t difficult – M31 is one of the most famous galaxies in the night sky.  Almost any amateur astronomer (myself included) should have been easily able to tell that M110 was missing in the Apple image.  :P

  • Chris

    Only if they’re releasing them to be pretty (RGB combining images, removing bad pixels, etc).  Photoshop doesn’t play any part in any of the actual science.

  • http://almondtree.tumblr.com/ Almond

    What do you mean it’s a good thing Apple doesn’t sell makeup? Looks like they did a damn good job- only a specialist noticed!

  • http://www.petapixel.com Michael Zhang

    I was linking to a story about how a Photoshopped makeup ad featuring julia roberts got banned in the UK and caused a huge controversy. Apple’s photoshopping is interesting, but not really controversial, since it’s artwork rather than a makeup ad.

  • http://www.petapixel.com Michael Zhang

    I was linking to a story about how a Photoshopped makeup ad featuring julia roberts got banned in the UK and caused a huge controversy. Apple’s photoshopping is interesting, but not really controversial, since it’s artwork rather than a makeup ad.

  • http://www.petapixel.com Michael Zhang

    I was linking to a story about how a Photoshopped makeup ad featuring julia roberts got banned in the UK and caused a huge controversy. Apple’s photoshopping is interesting, but not really controversial, since it’s artwork rather than a makeup ad.

  • http://www.petapixel.com Michael Zhang

    I was linking to a story about how a Photoshopped makeup ad featuring julia roberts got banned in the UK and caused a huge controversy. Apple’s photoshopping is interesting, but not really controversial, since it’s artwork rather than a makeup ad.

  • http://www.petapixel.com Michael Zhang

    I was linking to a story about how a Photoshopped makeup ad featuring julia roberts got banned in the UK and caused a huge controversy. Apple’s photoshopping is interesting, but not really controversial, since it’s artwork rather than a makeup ad.