- #1
NanoTech
- 63
- 0
When looking in the sky, how would you determine if your seeing a planet or a star? Thanks.
Originally posted by NanoTech
When looking in the sky, how would you determine if your seeing a planet or a star? Thanks.
Originally posted by NanoTech
...I know that some planets are farther up and down than other, hence they aren't all in one plane.
http://www.shatters.net/celestia/index.htmlCelestia is a free real-time space simulation that let's you experience our universe in three dimensions. Unlike most planetarium software, Celestia doesn't confine you to the surface of the Earth. You can travel throughout the solar system, to any of over 100,000 stars, or even beyond the galaxy. All travel in Celestia is seamless; the exponential zoom feature let's you explore space across a huge range of scales, from galaxy clusters down to spacecraft only a few meters across. A 'point-and-goto' interface makes it simple to navigate through the universe to the object you want to visit.
A planet is a celestial body that orbits a star, is not massive enough to ignite nuclear fusion, and has a relatively round shape. A star, on the other hand, is a massive celestial body that emits light and heat due to nuclear fusion reactions occurring in its core.
Scientists use various methods such as observing the object's orbit, measuring its temperature, and analyzing its mass and composition to determine whether it is a planet or a star.
Yes, there are objects known as brown dwarfs that have characteristics of both planets and stars. They are too small to sustain nuclear fusion but are larger and hotter than planets.
No, a planet cannot become a star. For a planet to become a star, it would need to have at least 13 times the mass of Jupiter and undergo a process called nuclear fusion, which is not possible for planets.
Determining whether an object is a planet or a star helps scientists understand the formation and evolution of the universe. It also helps in identifying potential habitable planets and studying the conditions necessary for life to exist on other planets.