{
  "id": 6292787,
  "title": "NASA Technique for Manipulating Satellite Photos Now Reveals Ancient Images",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/nasa-technique-for-manipulating-satellite-photos-now-reveals-ancient",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-08T15:15:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA",
    "slug": "nasa",
    "url": "https://www.nasa.gov/technology/tech-transfer-spinoffs/nasa-technique-for-manipulating-satellite-photos-now-reveals-ancient-images/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ancient paintings in Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple, depicting horseback riders and a musical ensemble, have been discovered using a technique developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. These faded images, invisible to the casual observer, were identified by an archaeologist between 2010 and 2012. The method, called decorrelation stretch, enhances contrasts in digital imagery, making details more visible. Jon Harman, a retired rock art enthusiast from California, discovered the potential of this technique while examining NASA images of the Martian surface. He had previously worked in medical imaging, which helped him understand the algorithm's application. Harman created a plug-in for ImageJ, an open-source program developed by the National Institutes of Health, to apply the technique.",
  "summary": "Algorithm NASA first applied to satellite imagery is now used to peer into antiquity",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NASA Science",
        "title": "NASA Technique for Manipulating Satellite Photos Now Reveals Ancient Images",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/nasa-technique-for-manipulating-satellite-photos-now-reveals-ancient-6300144",
        "published": "2026-09-08T15:15:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "NASA technique for manipulating satellite photos now reveals ancient images",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/nasa-technique-for-manipulating-satellite-photos-now-reveals-ancient-6329349",
        "published": "2026-09-08T21:20:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}