During daytime can you view stars from the bottom of a deep well?

Question

I have often heard this is true, but I don’t believe it. What do you think? Has anyone had the chance to try it?

I would be interested in hearing the arguments - for and against.

Answer 1

We see the stars at night not because *we* are in darkness but because there is no sunlight scattered in the atmosphere to drown out the starlight. Stars are much fainter than the sun.
So even if we were in a deep well and couldn't see a thing down there, the sky itself would still be in full sunlight and we couldn't see the stars.

But supernovas and nearby novas have been visible even during the day, because they are even brighter than the stars and are bright enough to be seen even with sunlight in the sky. But there haven't been any daytime-visible nova or supernova in a couple of centuries (the last one was in 1604 I believe).
In addition, Venus is often visible during the day because its so close to us and so bright (right now and for another month or so its barely visible during the late afternoon before sunset).

Answer 2

The stars are not viewable during the daytime if you look for them at the bottom of a well because the sun is still shining. It is the bright light of the sun that blots out the much dimmer light of the stars during daytime and standing in the bottom of a well does not turn the sun off. Wearing sunglasses will not help either because the sun, and the stars you can't see are all dimmed the same way. John

Answer 3

Viewing "stars" is not possible, but viewing a very bright planet is, such as Venus. The reason the sky is so bright during the day is because of the refraction of the light coming from the sun across the earth's atmosphere, thus obscuring stars. The fact that you might be in a deep dark well won't change the brightness of the atmosphere.

Answer 4

I have heard that many times but do not believe it. If you are at the bottom of a well, the patch of sky will look really bright and you will still not be able to see a star in it. You can try it by covering the windows in a room of your house with cardboard or whatever, with a small hole in one of the covers of one of the windows. Then close the door to the room and try to see stars in that little patch of sky. You won't see any. The reason you can't see stars in daylight is that the sky is brighter than the stars. A tiny patch of sky is still bright. It is brightness per square degree, called surface brightness, that counts, not the total amount of light.

Answer 5

No. The sky is too bright for a star to be seen during the day. Standing on the bottom of a well doesn´t make any difference. It´s still daytime.

Answer 6

This saying comes from a Puritain Prayer in which the writer says that the deeper one is in the well the brighter the stars become. This was not necessarily meant to be scientifically accurate but was meant to describe the condition of the heart. The deeper one understands his sinfulness (darkness), the better he understands the holiness of God (stars) and his need for a Saviour.

Answer 7

No. This is the kind of "non information" that is perpetuated by the same people who still think that the earth is flat. It's the atmosphere that keeps us from being able to see stars in the daytime. Being in a well will just make it dark around you. It won't make the sky dark.

Answer 8

It would have to be a bright star, but it is possible. This would be more so if the sun is not at its highest point in the sky. It is also possible to see the planet Venus during the day if the conditions are just right (I've seen it in the daytime).

Answer 9

Bottom Of A Well