  Every year, hundreds of images from telescopes on the ground and in space are
released to the public, making their way into popular culture through
everything from computer screens to postage stamps. These images span the
entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to infrared light to X-rays
and gamma rays, a majority of which is undetectable to the human eye without
technology. Once these data are collected, one or more specialists must process
the data to create an image. Therefore, the creation of astronomical imagery
involves a series of choices. How do these choices affect the comprehension of
the science behind the images? What is the best way to represent data to a
non-expert? Should these choices be based on aesthetics, scientific veracity,
or is it possible to satisfy both? This paper reviews just one choice out of
the many made by astronomical image processors: color. The choice of color is
one of the most fundamental when creating an image taken with modern
telescopes. We briefly explore the concept of the image as translation,
particularly in the case of astronomical images from invisible portions of the
electromagnetic spectrum. After placing modern astronomical imagery and
photography in general in the context of its historical beginnings, we review
the standards (or lack thereof) in making the basic choice of color. We discuss
the possible implications for selecting one color palette over another in the
context of the appropriateness of using these images as science communication
products with a specific focus on how the non-expert perceives these images and
how that affects their trust in science. Finally, we share new data sets that
begin to look at these issues in scholarly research and discuss the need for a
more robust examination of this and other related topics in the future to
better understand the implications for science communications.
