Are wells America’s new telescope?
The daylight sky appears dark enough from a deep well to view stars is an old myth. First off, who would want to go in a cold deep well to see if stars are visible? I wouldn't! It started with Aristotle who believed stars were visible from pits and wells. Later, even today, writers have used this myth in literature. The myth started, because a chimney or a well is long and narrow like a telescope. So the myth was created relating the well to a telescope, thinking that the naked eye would be able to visibly see stars with the aid of the well or chimney. Do they really help like telescopes?
On the left is a picture of a man standing below a chimney looking up to see if he can see the stars in the daylight, so you can get a better idea of how it is related to a telescope. This photo was found at http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/1983QJRAS..24..246H/0000254.000.html. Hynek, a man who has studied stars and ufo paranorma, wrote “…stars (not planets) cannot be seen from the bottom of deep wells, while the sun is above the horizon, 1st-magnitude star falls below the threshold of sensitivity of the eye against a daylight sky… the sky was just too bright!” To sum that up, Hynek believed that the sun was just too bright for stars to be seen during the day. A star shines, because the gas inside is so hot that nuclear fusion occurs. Nuclear fusion is the process where two atoms clash together to form a new atom, and uses an abundance of energy that we see as light. Maybe the energy is not bright enough for the star to shine, so the people in the well can see it. This information was found at http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/askastro/answers/970304.html
http://www.snopes.com/science/well.asp
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1983QJRAS..24..246H/0000249.000.html
After testing the myth in 1946, it was concluded that the dimmest star would have to be 5 times brighter than the brightest star excluding the sun, called Sirius, to see it in open daylight. In a well or chimney it is possible to see Sirius in daylight, but the star would have to be right above the person’s view. So I guess America has rejected the idea of wells being our new telescope. Sorry for those who were excited that you wouldn't have to by the telescope, but looks like you will. You can see further with a telescope!
http://www.snopes.com/science/well.asp
Example of a star during the day. ******MOVIE NOT MADE BY ME!!!****** copyright to whoever made it. Skip to 1:04- star is actually a planet but a star would be even harder to see.
9 comments:
What I thought was really interesting about this myth was the logic behind it. It seems like it could be possible, seeing as both wells and telescopes have the same build. (Even though the well doesn't have an engineered design.) However, as Hynek said, the daytime sky must just be too bright.
It almost seems obvious that you wouldn't be able to see the stars in the daylight even though a well has a telescope like design. After all though there is a lot more logic to this myth than expected.
Thats true. I wonder why people believed looking at stars from the bottom of a well would be easier than from ground level. The well doesn't magnify anything for you...
To me I dont see how people could think you could see stars in daylight from a well. The only reason I think its not possible is because of the brightness of the sky, and although you are far down in a well that acts similarly to a telescope, I dont see how it would be dark enough and magnified enough to see them.
I don't think it would be much better view of a star at all. And if your deep down in a well you are further away from the stars.
It's 'cause there is no magnification in a well. Back in aristotle's day I bet the idea seemed logical, but nobody probably went into a well to try it..
That's probably true, it must have seemed likely back then. But I wonder how they thought that was logical, especially seeing how smart he was...
Ya the well does not magnify it just kind of outlines a certain area. But you can only see Sirius if it is right above the well. I would rather buy a telescope rather than going in a well.
I think it is cool that you can see all of theat in a well that is well odwn into the earth
Post a Comment