Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt
But the camera isn't pointing at itself. What's a space mirror? I can picture a setup with two or three mirrors to take this picture, but not with just one.
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Whenever light passes from one medium to another, it bends - which is why a straw appears to bend in a glass of water. Some of the light striking the interface is transmitted and some is reflected. (These effects are due to the differences in the speed of light between the two materials. A similiar thing happens in network cables that aren't properly terminated.)
At very high elevation, the light reflects off the interface between the atmosphere and space, hence the term space mirror. Because the atmosphere is curved, the light reflects at an angle, not straight back. This is why it appears that the camera is not pointing at itself.
Without looking through the viewfinder, it's very difficult to get the shot to come out right. That's what the headlight is for.