Monday, July 2, 2012

The Night Sky

When you look up at the night sky, can you figure out which light is a star and which one is a planet? Here’s a hint:
Twinkle-twinkle little star…

Yup, you guessed it. A star does twinkle, so one that is a solid, unmoving light is a planet. However, planets don’t shine. Take Venus for example. It’s commonly known as the evening star, but if you really pay attention, Venus is just a brilliant pinpoint in the twilight. It glows and shines like that because the sun is shining on it.

Do you know how to tell if a star is close to Earth or if it’s going away from us?

Well, if you can’t it’s similar to the Doppler Effect (No, not Sheldon in his Halloween costume!). A star moving away from Earth will have a red glow about it, and a star moving toward us will have a blue tone.

If you’re a writer, watch the stars for inspiration. If you’re a reader, just imagine the worlds out there waiting to be discovered. 

4 comments:

  1. Great info to know! And yes, there is so much inspiration from the sky. :)

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  2. I love watching the night sky...although one of my favorite effects is much closer to home--the Aurora Borealiis!

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  3. My step-father is a amateur astronomer and told me that one about the red and blue stars, but I had forgotten. Thank you for the reminder. :)

    Janice~

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