how do we know that stars exist?

Question

we just blindly believe that those white dots in the sky are burning balls of gas that emit radiation, and then we see the pictures on tv/internet, but how do we know its not something else? im not a conspiracy theorist, i think we did go to the moon and that the flag could have waived since there is a small atmosphere, but i just wonder about stars. and other planets.

Answer 1

Of course you american sent men to the moon. But the flag is not waived, there is absolutely no atmosphere in the moon. The flag was made of a tiny solid material and was creased as if it were waving.
About stars: Our sun is a star, and I think you believe in its existence and in the properties being the ones scientis have learn and explained. There is a huge amount of knowledge about the nature of starts, their composition and the nuclear reactions that take place in their interior. The theorie is in perfect agreement with observations. Astronomers does not look at stars naked eye as we do, but throgh very powerful tetelescopes.

And taking about planets, you must take into account that we have sent probes that have taken photos from their vicinity, and sometime left robots to explore their surface (Mars).
Please take a look at Solar System Views

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm

I apologize for my bad english.

Answer 2

To answer your question, I am going to have to delve into the nature of light a little bit. Light is made up of photons, which are massless "particles" of energy that also behave as waves. Photons are emitted by electrons that have too much energy. An energetic electron emits a photon and returns to a low energy state. Electrons can only occupy certain energy levels; imagine it as electrons only being allowed to be whole numbers, no fractions. Electrons at different energy levels emit photons with different frequencies. Photons of different frequencies are seen by us as different colors of light, and also as other forms of electromagnetic radiation: X-rays, Ultraviolet, Radio Waves, etc. Different atoms have different electron configurations, so by analyzing the light that we see, we can tell what type of substance is present and what temperature it is. Analyzing the light from stars shows spectrum that, in some cases, are very similar to the sun. This means that some stars are very much like our sun. Other spectrum show stars that are much hotter or much cooler than our sun.

Answer 3

We know how far away the stars are, or at least some of the nearest stars, by measuring their parallax (which is basically triangulation, using the Earth's orbit as the baseline), and it is REALLY far away. Many trillions of miles away. For the stars to appear as bright as they do in our sky, they must be as bright as the Sun. So stars must be like the Sun. Then we use the same methods, like spectroscopy, to study starlight as we do to study sunlight.

The planets, like Saturn, are "only" millions of miles away and can be seen pretty well in a telescope. And of course we have sent space craft to them.

Answer 4

So you doubt the evidence of centuries of observation and theory? What alternative explanation can you offer?

Answer 5

My star burned out, that's what my boss said.

Answer 6

coz the smart scientists know they exist. what else would they be? they still be called stars wouldnt they if they were something else, coz they exist.

Answer 7

Because we can see them; analyze their compositions; and record their temperatures.

Answer 8

Our "sun" is a star!