stars, planets, satellites........

J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
wat's e difference between stars & planets?
kj: just me says:
ok... stars are either those that have ignited and give off their own light, or those that have collapsed into white dwarves or neutron stars, which don't give off light, only EM radiation. GEnerally stars are made of gas and are very massive
kj: just me says:
so even though a white dwarf or neutron star could be the same size as a planet, they are much more massive and dense
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
so stars r alive while planets r not?
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
stars generally give off light while planets do not?
kj: just me says:
planets on the other hand are generally rock, though gaseous planets do exist. Jupiter is an example of a planet that didn't make it to star status. If it had amassed much more gas and mass, chances are it would have ignited and there would be two stars in our galazy
kj: just me says:
Wat's your definition og alive?
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
alive, i.e. have activities in itself
kj: just me says:
Stars may or may not give off light, but for sure at some point in their lifetime they would have given off light. Planets will never give off light unless something starnge happens
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
so planest juz reflect light?
kj: just me says:
er... but Earth has activity what... The inner structure is still molten and moving
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
oh yeah....
kj: just me says:
yes, most, if not all, planets jsut reflect light.
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
then how do u tell e diffeence between statellites & stars?
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
planets dun twinkle but stars do rite?
kj: just me says:
satellites? They normally orbit around a massive object, and are themselves significantly smaller. So the Moon is a satellite of the Earth.
kj: just me says:
Not all stars twinkle. The sun doesn't twinkle
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
but i read smewhere tt tt's how u tell e difference between planets & stars....
kj: just me says:
The twinkling is caused by gaseous interferences as the light comes to us. So it really depends on how far the light source is
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
so how do u tell which r stars & which r planets
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
if u dun have a star map?
kj: just me says:
that works only if you are trying to tell apart planets from our solar system, and stars from other systems. This is because planets in our solar system are very close, specifically Mercury, Venus and Mars. SO when the light is reflected off them to us, the light will not twinkle. however, light from far away stars will twinkle.
kj: just me says:
from earth? You can use the twinkling as a rough guide. It works almost all the time on earth.
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
oic
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
how abt man-made satellites?
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
how do u tell them apart fr stars?
kj: just me says:
haha
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
hahaha wat????
kj: just me says:
that's a good one. honestly, I'm not too sure, but satellites have a tendency to stay in on spot in the sky, so it's perhaps a non-twinkling object that doesn't move faster than the earth
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
ok....
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
1 last qn
kj: just me says:
but that's a good question, I've never checked up on it.
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
which star map shld u use?
kj: just me says:
it's difficult to spot saellites thoguh cause of their small size.
kj: just me says:
not sure.
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
4 northern hemisphere or southeren?
kj: just me says:
er... that's somethign you'll have to pick up from the library or book store
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
there're sme online
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
but they have only e southern & northern hemisphere 1.....
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
so i'm tinking which i shld use.....
kj: just me says:
we should mostlikely be using both
kj: just me says:
but I believe most of us rely on the north star for bearing
kj: just me says:
so you can try using the Northen one.
kj: just me says:
still I'd say standvby the So one
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
but u dun get 2 c e north star now wat...
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
e only constellation i can always identify is orion....
kj: just me says:
oh you mean you're going soon is it? Then standby both maps lor.
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
i hope e skies wld b clear on new yr
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
new yr's eve i mena....
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
cos i 1 2 go star gazing.....
kj: just me says:
should b fun
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
yeah
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
tt time at nipah i also bought both north & south star maps....
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
but dunno if we identify e correct constellations....
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
2 tired then....
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
but e stars there were great!!!!
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
shld have stayed up then.......
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
in s'pore can hardly c much......
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
i 1 2 go bk 2 bintan 2 c e stars......
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
it's a real haven........
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
i saw my 1st shooting star in bintan!!!!
kj: just me says:
good for u
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
all my 23 yrs, tt's e 1st time i saw shooting star!!!!
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
hahaha so mountain turtle then!!!!
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
shout so loud!!!!
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
hahahaaaa...
kj: just me says:
my turn to go _ _
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
hope i get 2 c shooting stars gain!!!
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
wei...........
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
do u mind if i post ur answers 2 my qn on my blog????
J_ _L nic trying very hard 2 read... says:
cos i 1 2 remind myself......
kj: just me says:
not at all, but be forewarned that I'm not a real astronomer, so my answers, though I believe to be correct, may not be v accurate.