Stars are massive celestial bodies made of helium and hydrogen. They produce heat and light from nuclear forges located right in their core. When we look at them on a clear evening, they appear as small, sparkling dots in the sky but, there’s so much more to stars than that.
And today, you’ll be mid-blown with the ten most interesting star facts you’ll be reading in this article.
- Bigger and Brighter Than the Sun
Out of 5,000 stars, only a few of them are equally as big and bright as the sun. Out of the brightest 50 stars that are visible to us from the planet Earth, the least bright is one known as the Alpha Centauri. Apparently, it is still 1.5 times more radiant than the sun and is not easily seen from the Northern Hemisphere.
- Dark Nights Don’t Reveal Millions of Stars
There’s actually no such thing as seeing millions of stars at once anywhere, regardless of what commercials and songs may say. Why? Simply put, they’re not close enough or bright enough.
On a good night, with no Moon and far away from any external lights, you might be able to see about 2,500 stars or so. But even this small amount is difficult to see.
- Red Means Cold and Blue Means Hot
If you’ve observed closely, you’ve no doubt noticed red or blue stars in the night sky. And based on the knowledge you’ve received, it’s easy to think that red means hot and blue means cold. Yet, when it comes to stars, it’s the opposite.
When you notice a red star, it actually means it’s at its coolest state, while a blue star indicates it’s at its hottest. Neat, huh.
- Stars Are Black Bodies
A black body is a matter or object that absorbs 100 percent of electromagnetic radiation, such as light and radio waves, and stars are known to be perfect absorbers. Therefore, any radiation that falls on the star is not only absorbed by it but is also radiated back into space with more than what it absorbed!
- No Such Thing as Green Stars
There are rumors of stars that seem to be green, such as Beta Librae. However, most observers don’t really see any green shades on the stars, except due to the optical effect of their telescope. Stars do emit a spectrum of various colors, including green but, the human eye and brain barely mix the colors together in a way that ever comes out green.
So, in other words, as far as the human eye can tell, there is no such thing as green stars.
- The Sun is a Green Star
The temperature of a star is related to the color of the predominant wavelength emission. The sun’s surface temperature is approximately 500 nanometers, which is a green-bluish. Yet, as you’ve already learned, when it comes to the human’s eye and its interpretation of color, the sun appears to radiate a yellow-white color.
- The Sun is a Dwarf Star
Have you ever heard of a dwarf star? There are terms used to measure or represent the stages or the age of stars, such as “giants,” “supergiants,” and “dwarfs.” The stars that are in the long, most mature stages of evolution are known as “dwarf stars.”
Dwarf stars are much smaller than giants and supergiants, and technically, the sun is considered a dwarf star. In fact, one of the sun’s nicknames is “Yellow Dwarf.”
- Stars Don’t Actually Twinkle
Stars do seem like the twinkle, especially when they’re close to the horizon. A particular star called Sirius appears to flash and twinkle so much that people have confused it with a possible UFO. However, the twinkling effect we see is not something that the stars do but rather is due to the Earth’s atmosphere.
When the light from a star shines through the atmosphere, it travels through several layers of different densities. This causes a to deflect the light slightly. Eventually, your eyes meet the light, and each time it deflects, it causes it to change in color and intensity, resulting in the twinkling effect you love so much.
- About 20 Quadrillion Miles are Visible to Your Eye
How cool is it to know that on a good night, you’re able to see 19,000,000,000,000,000 miles of stars? This is the distance of a bright star known as Deneb, and it’s bright enough to see from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Even certain galaxies such as the Triangulum Galaxy can be seen under special conditions, like a telescope under 200, and it’s a good 18 quintillion miles away!
- Black Holes Do Not Suck
For as long as you can recall, whether in a book or on a show, black holes are described as holes that have a “sucking” effect and absorb everything around them. People are afraid that a black hole might appear near enough to suck us and everything we know.
But you don’t have to worry because there is no suction involved when it comes to black holes. Actually, matter is drawn into the black hole by a gravitational attraction. In other words, the process can be described as when a fisher pulls in a fish he caught with its rod.
Interesting Star Facts—Revealed
When it comes to space, people might have a misconception of how things actually are. Yet, learning these fun star facts no doubt cleared things up and probably left you with more eagerness to learn! If so, keep exploring our website!