starness

Starness is a neologism used in some astronomy-related discussions to describe the degree to which an object or signal resembles a star in observational characteristics. In practical terms, starness acts as a qualitative shorthand for features such as a near-point-source image, a stellar-like spectrum, and brightness profiles typical of stars. The term is not part of formal classifications and does not correspond to a specific physical property, but it is employed to discuss the difficulty of distinguishing stars from compact galaxies, quasars, or image artifacts in survey data.

Etymology and usage: Starness combines the word star with the suffix -ness to indicate a state or quality. It appears in informal scientific writing, educational materials, and online glossaries aimed at non-specialists, with varying emphasis on what constitutes high or low starness. Because there is no standardized definition, different authors may describe high starness as indicative of genuine stellar nature and low starness as suggestive of non-stellar origins, or they may reserve the term for quick, in-the-meld data checks during analysis.

Measurement and limitations: There is no official scale for starness. In principle, a formal index could integrate photometric brightness, spectral features of stellar atmospheres, point-like morphology in imaging, and patterns of variability typical of stars. In practice, classification remains imperfect and is affected by distance, interstellar extinction, instrument resolution, and data processing. The concept can help frame discussions about classification uncertainty, but it should not replace established methods such as star–galaxy separation using vetted, objective metrics.

Overall, starness remains a peripheral and informal concept, useful mainly as a heuristic for discussing how star-like an object appears within observational data.