You are here:
Astronomy/STAR
Advertisement
Question
HELLO,
THERE IS A STAR BEHIND MY HOUSE THAT ALWAYS FLASHES DIFFERENT COLOURS SUCH AS GREEN,BLUE ANND YELLOW WHAT WOULD IT BE???WOULD IT BE A STAR WITH THE STREET LIGHT AND ALL OTHER LIGHT REFLECTING ON IT OR COULD IT BE THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE STAR??THANKYOU FOR YOUR TIME!!!
REGARDS EDWARD JENNER,AGE 12
Hello,
It is not possible to identify your "star" unless one knows what direction you were looking, and what date and at what time. Once these are known, a better idea can be had.
A star shines by its own energy-light, so a street light will not reflect off it.
The atmosphere of a distant star cannot be directly observed from Earth, because all stars other than the Sun are too far away to detect atmospheres in this way.
The "flashing effects" you note are probably a result of twinkling. And this occurs because of the unsteady atmsophere. It is also worse when a star, for example, is observed near the horizon.
Try to follow this object as it gets higher in the sky, and then try to observe its steady color if you can find one.
- Ask a Question
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | thankyou so much for your time i will try and fnd out which direction it is and all the other stuff listed and get back to this website!! regards edward | ||
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Philip Stahl
Expertise
I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.
Experience
Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.
Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union
Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.
Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics
Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.