University of Twente Student Theses
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Hiding the Hand, Framing the Cosmos : Obfuscation, Immediacy and the Dual Authority of Hubble Images
Eilander, M.D.J. (2025) Hiding the Hand, Framing the Cosmos : Obfuscation, Immediacy and the Dual Authority of Hubble Images.
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| Abstract: | This thesis investigates how images produced by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST, also known as Hubble) gain both scientific credibility and cultural authority through the strategic obfuscation of their mediated nature. Although these images appear to offer an immediate and objective view of the cosmos, they are, in fact, the outcome of extensive technical and interpretive labour. Drawing on key scholars from Science and Technology Studies (STS), visual epistemology, and theories of photographic realism, the thesis critically analyses the data pipeline, visual aesthetics, public outreach practices, and institutional branding strategies behind these images. It reveals how Hubble images’ illusion of immediacy is carefully constructed to inspire trust, awe, institutional legitimacy, and attract funding. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 08 philosophy, 20 art studies, 39 astronomy, 70 social sciences in general |
| Programme: | Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society MSc (60024) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107061 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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