Home >> Science & Nature >> Astronomy

How to the Difference Between Planets and Stars

Astronomy is a wonderful pasttime for adults and children. The night sky is a plethora of stars that make up interesting constellations. Sometimes you are lucky enough to see falling stars, comets or eclipses. These are easy to spot and understand. Observing the planets and stars can be a bit perplexing, however, if you do not know the way to tell which is which. Identifying planets versus stars is a simple process that takes just a little bit of background knowledge. Once you know the difference, you will enjoy observing both stars and planets. When stargazing, look at the sky during different times and make it a point to go out in the early evening, later at night and just before the sun rises.

Instructions

- 1
  Know the visible five planets. There are five planets in the solar system that are visible to the naked eye. They are Saturn, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. These planets appear to be larger than stars simply because they are closer to the Earth. Another distinguishing characteristic is that typically planets will not twinkle or blink. Only great disturbances in the Earth's atmosphere will cause a planet to twinkle. For the most part, this does not happen. Those five planets shine brightly because they are reflecting sunlight off their surfaces.
- 2
  Understand the characteristics of stars. Typically, stars will seem to blink on and off. They are like tiny flashlights in the sky. Stars also appear smaller than planets because they are farther away in the galaxy. If you were to see a star up close, it would be very large, much like the Sun. Air turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere causes the blinking of stars. The more turbulence, the more the stars will twinkle and seem to change color. Stars, unlike planets, emit their own light. They also seem to be fixed in the night sky and are in the same place each time you look for them. Their apparent movement across the sky is only because of the Earth's rotation.
- 3
  Find the location. The five planets follow a distinct pattern around the solar system and subsequently, the Earth. The planets follow the same ecliptic, or orbit, that the Sun does. They rise in the east and set in the west. As the sun's ecliptic changes during the year when the Earth rotates on its axis (spring and fall), the planets will change location, too. Mercury and Venus are found on the western horizon just after sunset or on the eastern horizon right before sunrise. You can locate Jupiter, Mars and Saturn throughout the night time. Like the moon, sometimes you will not see them.

Astronomy