Stars and Planets, Meteors and Comets, the TRUTH

Are any of you out there skeptical that stars are actually stars and planets are actually planets?
I have doubts because of the following reasons.

I was taught as a child about shooting stars. Then I grew up and learned they are not stars at all, they are supposed to be comets and meteors. So I was lied to at an early age, and now I do not trust anything they tell me about space.

Jupiter and Venus are Planets yet they shine bright at night, like stars. I cannot see Mars and I cannot see Saturn, so why can I see Venus and Jupiter?

If a star shines because it's burning off energy, and planets are not, then why do Venus and Jupiter shine bright like stars?

If you tell me they are reflecting light, then what is it about them, that causes them to light up at night, by reflecting light? Do they have mirrors all over the surface or something?

Next....I see flashes of light shoot across the night sky and i'm told they are meteors burning up as they enter our atmosphere. How come some meteors burn up and others do not and actually impact the earth? How come more do not impact the earth, since I can see them almost every night, and that's just in my little quadrant of the sky?

Are they actually meteors or comets? Or are we seeing visible light reflections of spacecraft flying by at high speeds? Are some of them lightcrafts?

Those are just a few of my questions about space and the stars. Do other people ever have these questions and wonder about these things?

If you are a scientist, please explain these things in your most understandable way. Is it that I just do not understand science very well? Or are these reasonable questions at all?

reply to post by magickmaster


I fail to understand how you would fathom the idea of space craft flying by and reflecting light, but not all the easily accessible scientific evidence of our solar system....do you think the earth is flat too...

Des

reply to post by magickmaster


ok wow. First, go pick up a grade 6 science text book, seriously, you are scaring me right now.

Meteors burn up in the atmosphere because of the speed and friction created, it takes a a well planned out approach angle to minimize the friction, and even then the heat is extreme.

Depending on the angle and size and composition of the object a few different thing can happen:

if it's coming at a steep angle, it might just bounce right off the atmosphere. If it's coming at a better angle it will enter the atmosphere...

If it's large enough, and made of the right stuff, a tiny piece might actually impact earth, but for the most part, they heat up and burn away before the touch the ground.

The streaks and such you see are that, them burning up or entering the atmosphere.

as for the planets being stars? first, stars twinkle, planets provide a steady light. Second, planets are objects, usually with a surface or at the very least, some type of cloud cover (doesn't mean oxygen based clouds) which reflect light.

Depending on their size, composition, and POSITION relative to the earth and the sun, you can see some sometimes, others at other times, some you can't see with the naked eye at all..

Because the air between you and space, as well as the atmosphere, acts as a filter, reducing what gets in.

As or the rest of your questions, I dunno man, go read a book, seriously

Sigh, i'll try:

Jupiter and Venus are Planets yet they shine bright at night, like stars. I cannot see Mars and I cannot see Saturn, so why can I see Venus and Jupiter? If a star shines because it's burning off energy, and planets are not, then why do Venus and Jupiter shine bright like stars?

Stars produce light, planets reflect light.

If you tell me they are reflecting light, then what is it about them, that causes them to light up at night, by reflecting light? Do they have mirrors all over the surface or something?

It's only night because the sun has passed beyond the earths horizon for YOU. That light reflects off planets, just like the moon. You do understand that the moon does not produce light correct? it merely reflects the sunlight.

Is it that I just do not understand science very well?

a million times, yes.

If you can't see it with the naked eye doesn't mean it's not there. You should invest some money into a descent telescope, you would be amazed at what you can see, and if you can't afford a telescope, buy you some binoculars

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by magickmaster

 

I fail to understand how you would fathom the idea of space craft flying by and reflecting light, but not all the easily accessible scientific evidence of our solar system....do you think the earth is flat too...

Des

edit on 24-9-2012 by Destinyone because: (no reason given)

Well, not anymore. lol
But honestly, people that buy into stuff and do not question it, end up being as stupid as those who think science can explain everything in a way we can understand with our words, and descriptions. It's not always as it appears, even after being explained away by science.

Science does not support Nikola Tesla, (in theory maybe, but not as much in academic circles) yet he still provided Free Energy with his experiments. Just one example.

reply to post by magickmaster


I'm not going to argue the existence of the Universe, as I know it, against your total lack of any evidence side of the fence.

To be honest...you sound like you slept through the whole semester in Science class. Why are you asking for the Cliff Notes version of the galaxy from the rest of us. Do you have a test coming up perchance....

Des

Originally posted by magickmaster
Jupiter and Venus are Planets yet they shine bright at night, like stars. I cannot see Mars and I cannot see Saturn, so why can I see Venus and Jupiter?

You can't see Mars or Saturn because you're not looking in the right place! Everyone else sees them.

(You can also see Mercury, though rarely as it's quite close to the Sun)

Originally posted by magickmaster
Are any of you out there skeptical that stars are actually stars and planets are actually planets?
I have doubts because of the following reasons.

I was taught as a child about shooting stars. Then I grew up and learned they are not stars at all, they are supposed to be comets and meteors. So I was lied to at an early age, and now I do not trust anything they tell me about space.

Jupiter and Venus are Planets yet they shine bright at night, like stars. I cannot see Mars and I cannot see Saturn, so why can I see Venus and Jupiter?

If a star shines because it's burning off energy, and planets are not, then why do Venus and Jupiter shine bright like stars?

If you tell me they are reflecting light, then what is it about them, that causes them to light up at night, by reflecting light? Do they have mirrors all over the surface or something?

Next....I see flashes of light shoot across the night sky and i'm told they are meteors burning up as they enter our atmosphere. How come some meteors burn up and others do not and actually impact the earth? How come more do not impact the earth, since I can see them almost every night, and that's just in my little quadrant of the sky?

Are they actually meteors or comets? Or are we seeing visible light reflections of spacecraft flying by at high speeds? Are some of them lightcrafts?

Those are just a few of my questions about space and the stars. Do other people ever have these questions and wonder about these things?

If you are a scientist, please explain these things in your most understandable way. Is it that I just do not understand science very well? Or are these reasonable questions at all?

Firstly you can see Mars and Saturn and the reason you see these planets, yes it is because they reflect light, just like when you look at your hand and can see your hand, you see your hand because of the light reflecting of it.

reply to post by magickmaster

But honestly, people that buy into stuff and do not question it, end up being as stupid as those who think science can explain everything in a way we can understand with our words, and descriptions. It's not always as it appears, even after being explained away by science.

Well then I have a question. Can you provide an example of a method besides that of the scientific method which can discern truth? Because most academics would agree that the scientific method is the best and only way to discern natural truths.

>>
Jupiter and Venus are Planets yet they shine bright at night, like stars. I cannot see Mars and I cannot see Saturn, so why can I see Venus and Jupiter?
>>

You can see Mars and you can see Saturn, depending.

>>
If a star shines because it's burning off energy, and planets are not, then why do Venus and Jupiter shine bright like stars?
>>

Planets are reflecting the sunlight. Venus is especially bright since it has a layer of white clouds.

>>
If you tell me they are reflecting light, then what is it about them, that causes them to light up at night, by reflecting light? Do they have mirrors all over the surface or something?
>>

It's only "night" in one part of the Earth. The sun is still shining towards a planet and we see the sun's light reflected, in the same way as we see the SUN LIT MOON at night.

>>
Next....I see flashes of light shoot across the night sky and i'm told they are meteors burning up as they enter our atmosphere. How come some meteors burn up and others do not and actually impact the earth? How come more do not impact the earth, since I can see them almost every night, and that's just in my little quadrant of the sky?
>>

Whether a meteor burns up or not is dependent on its size. MOST meteorites are very tiny, so they enter the atmosphere and immediately burn up. The bigger chunks actually make it to Earth. 53.000 TONS of such meteorites are actually making it to Earth each year.

>>
Are they actually meteors or comets? Or are we seeing visible light reflections of spacecraft flying by at high speeds? Are some of them lightcrafts?
>>

Meteors.
A COMET is a big piece of ice/dirt on a path around the Sun, we see them occasionally if they come close to Earth. But they are not Earth bound and not entering our atmosphere.

Spacecraft (satellites) might also look like stars, sometimes very bright (eg. the ISS) and they are usually moving in a straight pattern relatively slowly across the sky.

Originally posted by magickmaster
Science does not support Nikola Tesla, (in theory maybe, but not as much in academic circles) yet he still provided Free Energy with his experiments. Just one example.

Tesla was a highly intelligent man for certain, but he did not provide free energy. Don't believe everything you read in the internet.

Posts like these that keep popping up, I can't help but wonder and worry about the state of human evolution regarding intelligence. I mean, Copernicus, though he had the orbits wrong knew about planets. The Mayans, ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and people all over the world thousands of years ago worked out planets.

Now, we have people like this in the OP?

I really wish I had a facepalm graphic for this.
I might go get one and add in an edit.

Response to all this nonsense:

Get A Telescope!

Shooting star is easier to explain to a 4 year old instead of saying "oh look at that hunk of iron flying thru the sky".

reply to post by magickmaster


Actually, you can see Mars and Saturn -- and sometimes even Mercury. It depends on knowing when and where to look for them and being in a location far enough away from the local man-made lights so they don't interfere with your ability to see the stars (and planets and other things in space).

Try sites like: www.space.com... or earthsky.org...

The planets really are reflecting the light from our sun, although I think I read that Jupiter might be giving off some of its own energy (though not enough to produce light - or fusion). They tend to be bright than the stars because they are so much closer. Consider how close the Moon is to us - and we're pretty sure it is reflecting the light of the sun.

As for "shooting stars", don't let the name confuse you. It's more of a "common name" for meteors. They are bright and up in the sky and we usually see them at night. People who know what they are sometimes still use the term anyways. Most are very small and burn up when going through our atmosphere. Whether they reach the ground depends on what they're made of and how big they are. Fortunately, the vast majority are quite small (I've read that they're close to the size of a grain of sand).

Don't get too hung up on what people call things and what the things really are. Some term go back to earlier times when people called things by what they looked like without regard to what they actually are.

Hopefully, this will help get you started.

reply to post by Openeye


I'm just asking a raw question here, i'm not challenging science or the prevailing thoughts. It's like asking simple questions again, for the first time. Everyone who has a psychedelic experience ends up doing this with most of reality, through a course of a few trips. It's a good idea to question ourselves from time to time. Some things do not make sense to me.

For instance, the idea that Venus reflects light because it has clouds around it. Does not make sense to me at all.
It does not make sense to me how a planet like Jupiter as far away as it is, is still as bright as it is, to my eyes.

I do not believe the flat earth theories, but I thank the stars there are people out there who cause us to question everything, over and over, like those guys. It took a long time for us to finally believe the earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around. So, just because science says electricity works, does not mean electricity is the best way to conduct energy.

We use terms to define ideas, all the time, and sometimes those are JUST terms, that do not fully represent the ideas behind them, and therefore we do not understand the wholistic idea, only the one we are caused to focus on.

Question everything, believe nothing, and trust only your inner voice. That's my thought of the day.

reply to post by davidchin


I like the way you phrased this. This is how I like to learn, not from people who state science as fact

"and we're pretty sure it is reflecting the light of the sun."

lol, the shooting stars portion was a joke for my thread content actually. it was for laughs. Of course it's more of a misnomer, than an intentional lie.

Originally posted by magickmaster
reply to post by Openeye

 

I'm just asking a raw question here, i'm not challenging science or the prevailing thoughts. It's like asking simple questions again, for the first time. Everyone who has a psychedelic experience ends up doing this with most of reality, through a course of a few trips. It's a good idea to question ourselves from time to time. Some things do not make sense to me.

For instance, the idea that Venus reflects light because it has clouds around it. Does not make sense to me at all.
It does not make sense to me how a planet like Jupiter as far away as it is, is still as bright as it is, to my eyes.

I do not believe the flat earth theories, but I thank the stars there are people out there who cause us to question everything, over and over, like those guys. It took a long time for us to finally believe the earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around. So, just because science says electricity works, does not mean electricity is the best way to conduct energy.

We use terms to define ideas, all the time, and sometimes those are JUST terms, that do not fully represent the ideas behind them, and therefore we do not understand the wholistic idea, only the one we are caused to focus on.

Question everything, believe nothing, and trust only your inner voice. That's my thought of the day.

Protip: Stop having psychedelic experiences.

The only universe you're contemplating in such a chemically altered state is the subjective idea of a universe tattooed on the inside of your skull.

Use real tools like, erm, Telescopes to explore the real universe. Yep.

Originally posted by magickmaster
Are any of you out there skeptical that stars are actually stars and planets are actually planets?
I have doubts because of the following reasons.

I was taught as a child about shooting stars. Then I grew up and learned they are not stars at all, they are supposed to be comets and meteors. So I was lied to at an early age, and now I do not trust anything they tell me about space.

Jupiter and Venus are Planets yet they shine bright at night, like stars. I cannot see Mars and I cannot see Saturn, so why can I see Venus and Jupiter?

If a star shines because it's burning off energy, and planets are not, then why do Venus and Jupiter shine bright like stars?

If you tell me they are reflecting light, then what is it about them, that causes them to light up at night, by reflecting light? Do they have mirrors all over the surface or something?

Next....I see flashes of light shoot across the night sky and i'm told they are meteors burning up as they enter our atmosphere. How come some meteors burn up and others do not and actually impact the earth? How come more do not impact the earth, since I can see them almost every night, and that's just in my little quadrant of the sky?

Are they actually meteors or comets? Or are we seeing visible light reflections of spacecraft flying by at high speeds? Are some of them lightcrafts?

Those are just a few of my questions about space and the stars. Do other people ever have these questions and wonder about these things?

If you are a scientist, please explain these things in your most understandable way. Is it that I just do not understand science very well? Or are these reasonable questions at all?

Wow.... did you grow up in rural Afganistan or something?

How can you call yourself Magicmaster if you don't even know the basics of Astronomy.

Its great to question things, but your questions can be answered and proven by science, and science is the search for the truth, therefore not inherantly a conspiracy.

The reason you can't see Mars is because you don't know where and when to look for it, I have seen it many times. Planets reflect just like everything else does, if objects didn't reflect sunlight you wouldn't be able to see anything besides sources of light.

Just out of curiousity, where did you go to school???

Originally posted by magickmaster




Question everything, believe nothing, and trust only your inner voice. That's my thought of the day.

I agree with you 100%, but you should start somewhere closer to yourself. Question your mental framework and your perception. See how everything you perceive is indirect and processed by your brain.

Starting your questions inside yourself will bring you a lot more than questioning basic scientific knowledge.

reply to post by fedeykin


I also question how many people dies in the holocaust. I'm pretty stupid huh?
I went to school on ATS Forums.