  This study extended research on the development of explanatory labels for
astronomical images for the non-expert lay public. The research questions
addressed how labels with leading questions/metaphors and relevance to everyday
life affect comprehension of the intended message for deep space images, the
desire to learn more, and the aesthetic appreciation of images. Participants
were a convenience sample of 1,921 respondents solicited from a variety of
websites and through social media who completed an online survey that used four
high-resolution images as stimuli: Sagittarius A*, Solar Flare, Cassiopeia A,
and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101). Participants were randomly assigned initially
to 1 of 3 label conditions: the standard label originally written for the
image, a label with a leading question containing a metaphor related to the
information for the image, or a label that contained a fact about the image
relevant to everyday life. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 image and
compared all labels for that image. Open-ended items at various points asked
participants to pose questions to a hypothetical astronomer. Main findings were
that the relevance condition was significantly more likely to increase wanting
to learn more; the original label was most likely to increase overall
appreciation; and, smart phone users were more likely to want to learn more and
report increased levels of appreciation. Results are discussed in terms of the
need to examine individual viewer characteristics and goals in creating
different labels for different audiences.
