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The Christmas Tree Star?

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  • 23-11-2013 2:42am
    #1
    Mint Aero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,570 ✭✭✭


    Festive title to suit my mood :D but I was out the back tonight and I saw a star....this is a star I've been seeing for the past 15yrs or so, I dont really recall seeing it there all my life but I digress.

    This 'star' flashes different colours....constantly, it's the only one to do so. It goes blue, green, red, white and so on..... it's mad. I used think that's the space station :rolleyes: but sure the space station is only visible for short times.

    What is this star?? It's positioned to the right of the moon tonight if that makes a difference, not directly right but ye know a bit to the right and down a bit.


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    #2
    mickmackey1
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,288 ✭✭✭mickmackey1


    It's Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It flashes so much because it never rises very high and its light has to pass through a lot of Earth's murky atmosphere.


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    #3
    greedygoblin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,649 ✭✭✭greedygoblin


    It could have been Sirius (the brightest star in the night sky) or also possibly Procyon (the eighth brightest). Of the two, Procyon was the closest to the moon last night (both were to the right and below). The changing of colours is called scintillation. It's caused by refraction of the light from a star as it passes through our atmosphere.


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    #4
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,771 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    Mint Aero wrote: »
    ....
    What is this star?? It's positioned to the right of the moon tonight if that makes a difference, not directly right but ye know a bit to the right and down a bit.

    Great tool is to download Stellarium (free and quick)
    This shows you a map of the sky from your location. Easy way to identify the sky at night!


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    #5
    ZeRoY
    Registered Users Posts: 959 ✭✭✭ZeRoY


    not this again....


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