How can you tell planets and stars apart in the night sky?

Question

Real Answerssssss plllzzz

Answer 1

The stars stay in fixed patterns that we call constellations. The planets move from week to week and month to month. If you see an extra star in a constellation, and it is one of the 12 Zodiac constellations, and it gradually moves over time, then it is a planet.

Answer 2

* If it doesn't twinkle, and stars nearby do twinkle, it's a planet. Planets only twinkle when there's a *lot* of turbulence in the atmosphere. This is the easiest way to be reasonably sure short of looking it up.

* Several of the planets are fairly bright. Venus is very, very bright right now. If you know the few brightest stars, you can identify Venus, Jupiter or Saturn this way.

* If you watch over a period of a few months, a planet will move relative to the pattern of constellations behind it. Stars don't.

* Planets are always in zodiacal constellations. If you recognize the constellation behind the planet, and it isn't in the newspaper, it's not a planet. Zodiacal constellations are all lined up in the sky. They start in the east, rise up in the south (if you're in the northern hemisphere) to the angle of your altitude, and come down in the west.

* You can check a chart to see where the planets are. Use http://www.space.com/nightsky/ or find the most recent copy of Astronomy Magazine or Sky & Telescope Magazine.

Answer 3

Planets only appear as disks under telescopic examination. Otherwise they resemble stars. Twinkling isn't particularly helpful in determining what is a star. Twinkling is an effect caused by the earths atmosphere. It really doesn't have anything to do with the source. Neither planets or stars would twinkle if seen from space. Movement is the most reliable, and that requires many many nights of observation and record keeping. Parallax observations can determine which is which. Planets will show parallax with even amateur equipment.

Answer 4

Planets will not stay in a fixed poision relative to other stars night after night. The greek word "planet" means "wanderer".

Find the star Sirius. This is the really bright star seen in the winter sky right to the east of orion. This is the brightest star in the sky. You see anything brighter, it's a planet.

Answer 5

Stars are in fixed positions relative to other stars. They are never going to appear to move in your lifetime, except in the nightly circle around Polaris. The handle of the big dipper will always be in that position for the rest of your life.

Planets will move across the sky, changing position every night. The word "planet" comes from the greek word for "wanderer", because they seemed to wander around in the sky.

Answer 6

planet--- latin for wanderer.


its the lights in the sky that "wander" about the sky.

the stars will do the same thing night after night, week after week, year after year.

the planets don't. you'll have to track a planet for a few weeks, but if you do you'll note its position in the night sky changes with respect to the stars.

Answer 7

to be specific...
planet doesnt "twinkle"...
stars do...
this is because the light that planets reflect is closer than the light produced by the stars, the atmosphere then disrupts the light from the farther objects than near it.... the disruption causes the "twinkle" effect...
i hope i helped you with that...

Answer 8

I think planets are real bright like a diamond and bigger

Answer 9

Planets look bigger and brighter then the stars (except the sun). they look bigger and brighter because they are closer.