Dumb Question?
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:40 pm
Can you see stars when you are in space?
Chuck"who has got to stop listening to the man in his head"Jackson
Chuck"who has got to stop listening to the man in his head"Jackson
Do stars twinkle when observed from outside the earth's atmosphere? No.Chuck Jackson wrote:Can you see stars when you are in space?
Cool, that's what I was wondering. I always assumed the twinkling was an atmospheric phenomena. I guess the "seeing" part should be re-phrased, what do they look like. Just little specks, I assume.Mark wrote:Do stars twinkle when observed from outside the earth's atmosphere? No.Chuck Jackson wrote:Can you see stars when you are in space?
An observant question that is best answered by the fact that stars are light-years away from the earth and from each other. About 30,000 miles out into space does nothing to diminish the quadrillions of miles that separate the stars from each other. It is an interesting, (and mind-boggling) question, though. Sort of like a "If a tree falls down in the forest, do we know who cut it down?" kinda question.Chuck Jackson wrote:Can you see stars when you are in space?
If that's true, then why isn't the sky bright white from all of those trillion stars just in the Andromeda galaxy alone? Something out there in the great interstellar spaces does indeed diminish the starlight that we see.tubafatness wrote:An observant question that is best answered by the fact that stars are light-years away from the earth and from each other. About 30,000 miles out into space does nothing to diminish the quadrillions of miles that separate the stars from each other.
Nice...ScottKoranda wrote:The light redshits because of the expansion of the universe.
On the contrary, you should! It makes things so much more fun for all...ScottKoranda wrote:sc_curtis wrote:One of the better quotes I've seen on tubenet.
Nice...ScottKoranda wrote:The light redshits because of the expansion of the universe.![]()
I should not post on the ol' TubeNet after a long day at work and a few beers at home...
Very good! And remember -- "shifts happen"!ScottKoranda wrote:If you insist...going to the 'fridge now...sc_curtis wrote:On the contrary, you should! It makes things so much more fun for all...ScottKoranda wrote:![]()
I should not post on the ol' TubeNet after a long day at work and a few beers at home...
In fact, have another!
Yef, I fertainly did -- very obfervant!LoyalTubist wrote:Did you have an F malfunction there?
The expansion of the universe has funny effects on us all.sc_curtis wrote:One of the better quotes I've seen on tubenet.
Nice...ScottKoranda wrote:The light redshits because of the expansion of the universe.
That's not the case. Stars DO twinkle when viewed from the Earth's surface, and planets *usually* do not. I have observed this on many occasions trying to find Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars in a telescope. Planets definitely do not twinkle.LoyalTubist wrote:Stars don't twinkle. Planets twinkle. This is caused by the reflection of the sun on the planet and the reaction of the earth's atmosphere. But this doesn't happen in space.
How did I know that?
Stars twinkle. Planets do not. AND, less filling!LoyalTubist wrote:Stars don't twinkle. Planets twinkle.