I’ve always thought that stars in the sky are well, stars. But I just started to wonder, that are they just other stars or can we also see planets and such with our naked eyes? Like can the star be so bright that it could reflect the light from the planet so we can see it with just our eyes? Or are they all just other stars like our sun?
In: Physics
What we are refer to as “stars” in the night sky are either actual objects producing their own light or are objects reflecting the light from other sources. Most of the lights in the night sky are in fact stars though.
However, you are able to see a few objects that aren’t stars with the naked eye. The moon is probably the most obvious, but depending on the time of year and where you are, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus are definitely visible with just your eyes. They generally look like very bright stars, with Mars having a reddish hue. Certain satellites and the ISS can also be seen unaided if you know where to look and are away from light pollution.
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