Is the star spherical or 5-pointed after all?

Báo Tiền PhongBáo Tiền Phong03/08/2024


TPO - Ever since school, we have been taught to draw five-pointed stars. But have you ever wondered why we all draw stars this way, when their actual shape is a sphere?

Humans create images based on our perspective. When looking at the night sky, stars appear to have many elongated points, so this shape is commonly used in drawings. And this perspective is not exclusive to humans; it extends to almost any creature with the ability to see.

Even high-powered telescopes reflect the representation of stars as spikes. This misleading phenomenon arises from the inherent behavior of light.

Light travels in ways that are consistent with both wave and particle dynamics. As a photon, it follows straight lines, while in other cases it behaves like a wave. Wave-like properties result in light waves, emitted from a distant object, being deflected or refracted slightly around an object or cavity, creating interesting patterns on the surface where they eventually fall.

This explains the sparkling, pointed effect created when light passes through a small opening, such as our eyes. But this only solves part of the mystery.

The other part has to do with an inherent flaw found in the human eye. Specifically, the fibers that make up our eye lenses intersect at certain points, creating tiny structural defects called sutures. The interaction of light with these sutures creates a distinctive star-like pattern, making them appear like pentagrams.

Diem Linh

According to Science ABC



Source: https://tienphong.vn/rot-cuoc-thi-ngoi-sao-co-dang-hinh-cau-hay-5-canh-post1660328.tpo

Comment (0)

No data
No data

Same tag

Same category

Developing community tourism in Ha Giang: When endogenous culture acts as an economic "lever"
French father brings daughter back to Vietnam to find mother: Unbelievable DNA results after 1 day
Can Tho in my eyes
17-second video of Mang Den so beautiful that netizens suspect it was edited

Same author

Image

Heritage

Figure

Business

No videos available

News

Ministry - Branch

Local

Product