{"id":47745,"date":"2023-07-22T08:37:33","date_gmt":"2023-07-22T08:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=120555"},"modified":"2023-07-22T09:32:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-22T09:32:34","slug":"how-many-stars-can-a-person-see-in-the-night-sky","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-many-stars-can-a-person-see-in-the-night-sky\/","title":{"rendered":"How many stars can a person see in the night sky?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we look up at the night sky, how many stars can we see, and what magnitude can the human eye see unaided? <\/p>

By Peter Grego\n \t\t<\/p>

2023-07-22 08:35:33<\/p>

\n\n

The number of stars visible to a dark-adapted eye on a clear, Moonless night depends on the keenness of your eyesight and the background sky\u2019s brightness.<\/span><\/p>\n

The latter varies daily and seasonally and with the amount of skyglow caused by light pollution<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Given the darkest possible natural conditions \u2013 midnight at midwinter, with the Sun at its lowest point below the northern horizon \u2013 only a dozen or so of the very brightest stars<\/a> might be glimpsed from a city centre backyard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\""Choose\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Choose a constellation that\u2019s always visible, like Ursa Minor,to work out the magnitude of the dimmest star you can see. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

However, under dark, rural UK skies, the eye is capable of discerning stars as faint as magnitude +5.5 ( or help understanding this, read our guide to stellar magnitude).<\/span><\/p>\n

There are around 2,800 stars on the celestial sphere brighter than this, so at any one time around 1,400 potentially visible stars lie above the observer\u2019s horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

The actual number of stars visible is under 1,000 because of the effects of atmospheric extinction, which dims objects towards the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The stages of evening twilight. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

At the start of nautical twilight<\/a> (the Sun more than 6\u00b0 below the horizon) the brightest stars begin to appear, and by the start of astronomical twilight (the Sun more than 12\u00b0 below the horizon) a few hundred stars can be discerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the best locations, those with excellent vision might be able to discern stars down to magnitude +6.5.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Yale Bright Star Catalogue<\/i><\/a> lists 9,110 of what it considers \u201cnaked eye visible stars\u201d above this magnitude. PG<\/span><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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