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| Darth Lord Sidious |
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:45 am Post subject: Question about the nature of stars |
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Forum Freshman

Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 57 Location: Toledo, OH
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Since the light from a star light years away takes light years to get to us, is there a less number of actual stars then what we see in the night sky? _________________ "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon |
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| Janus |
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: Question about the nature of stars |
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Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 1003
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| Darth Lord Sidious wrote: |
| Since the light from a star light years away takes light years to get to us, is there a less number of actual stars then what we see in the night sky? |
The individual stars we see are all generally in our own part of the galaxy. Since stellar evolution is a slow process, the chances of any of them having reached the end of their lives in the time it took for the light from them to reach us is small. _________________ "Men are apt to mistake the strength of their feelings for the strength of their argument.
The heated mind resents the chill touch & relentless scrutiny of logic"-W.E. Gladstone
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| Ophiolite |
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:38 am Post subject: Re: Question about the nature of stars |
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 Time Lord

Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 6193 Location: Scotland
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| Janus wrote: |
| The individual stars we see are all generally in our own part of the galaxy. Since stellar evolution is a slow process, the chances of any of them having reached the end of their lives in the time it took for the light from them to reach us is small. |
And in the meantime other stars have been born whose light has not yet reached us. _________________ The Universe is not only weirder than we imagine it is weirder than we can imagine. J.B.S.Haldane. |
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| KALSTER |
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:59 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 4571 Location: South Africa
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| Quote: |
| Since the light from a star light years away takes light years to get to us |
Just a small, but crucial correction. "Light years" always refers to a distance. So light from sources light years away take years to get here. _________________ Disclaimer: I do not declare myself to be an expert on ANY subject. If I state something as fact that is obviously wrong, please don't hesitate to correct me. I welcome such corrections in an attempt to be as truthful and accurate as possible.
"Gullibility kills" - Carl Sagan
"All people know the same truth. Our lives consist of how we chose to distort it." - Harry Block
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work...
I want to achieve it through not dying."
- Woody Allen |
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