how can i tell the diffrence between a planet and a star without a telescope?

Answer 1

You can sometimes notice that a planet doesn't twinkle like the stars but this isn't always a clear distinction. The best way is to learn enough of the sky to know where the ecliptic is and what bright stars are near it. Then you'll know that any stray bright star near the ecliptic is almost certainly a planet.

You can also check a current chart in an astronomy magazine, or look online at http://skytonight.com/ or other sites to see what planets are where in the sky at a given time.

Answer 2

On a night when the stars seem to twinkle a lot, planets will remain steady. Planets *can* twinkle if the air is turbulent enough but it rarely is.

Answer 3

Consult a sky map - stars always stay in the same place whereas planets move in their orbits. A dated map will even tell you where each planet is on any given night.

Answer 4

Stars tend to twinkle and glitter in the night sky. Planets twinkle and sparkle hardly at all.

Answer 5

there is no difference. they are both planets. the further one is the smaller it looks....a star but in reality is a planet

Answer 6

Planets don't twinkles, stars do.

Answer 7

If it is in our solar system, the planet is a disk. We can't see a planet from another solar system.