flickering stars

[joelkujala]

can someone tell me about a flickering star , it rises in the east , southeast at around midnight and seems to flicker or change colour this diminishes as it rises higher is it just the atmosphere creating the flickering ?

[wavelandscott]

While I can't speak to the particular object that you are asking about, most likely it is just disturbance from the atmosphere...

When stars (planets too) are closer to the horizon their "light" must pass through much more atmosphere than when they are directly overhead. The atmosphere is just chock full of things like dust and moisture that can cause the "flicker" or "twinkling" that you sometimes (often) see...

Clear Skies!

[Blue Skies]

You're probably watching Canopus rise, the second brightest star in the sky.

The flickering and colour changing is just caused by the atmposphere. If you were to look at the star after a few hours it should be a steady white colour - alhtough it still might flicker and twinkle as the atmosphere moves around overhead.

[GrahamL]

what scott said..and jacquie :)
have a read of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_seeing :)

[Kevnool]

As Jacquie said its Canopus rising....................heres a screen shot from Starry night pro plus 6....cheers Kev.

[Jen]

Hey there Kev :hi: that starry nite pro plus 6 program you got there looks cool is it better than Stellarium it looks easier to use and is it free too :D

[Kevnool]

Jen that starry night is $329 at Bintel and its very good ......I dont know stellarium.....cheers Kev.

[Jen]

:eyepop::eyepop: it must be good for that price :thumbsup:
I use stellarium its free :thumbsup: its ok the kids like it ;)

[AstralTraveller]

Another freebie that is worth considering is Cartes du Ciel. I haven't used Stellarium much but I suspect Cartes is better, especially if you add all the optional catalogues. It is at:

http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/

[Jen]

Cool i wil check it out thanks Astral :thumbsup: