... you might enjoy this collection of images.
The heart of digital cameras are CCDs, "charge-coupled devices" that use incoming photons to alter the electrical charge between closely-spaced electronic elements. This is analogous to film-based cameras that used incoming photons to alter the properties of a chemical emulsion painted onto a clear plastic substrate.
The chemicals in film-based photography form "grains" that limit the resolution of the film. Fine-grained film yeilds extremely high resolution that captures enormous details and that can be substantially enlarged without much visual degradation.
CCDs elements--- pixels, if you will--- started out much, much larger than film grains, and this collection of what were, st each stage, state-of-the-art scientific digital photos, clearly shows.
It's also amazing to remember that in just about 25 years, CCDs went from exotic and experimental scientific gear to commodity items. Today, they're nearly disposable items. Incredible!
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn18035-improving-images-of-space/1
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