stjernelyset

Stjernelyset is a Norwegian term meaning starlight. In astronomy it refers to the light emitted by stars that travels through space and reaches Earth. The Sun is the closest star and provides most daylight; at night, light from distant stars becomes visible to the unaided eye.

Starlight spans a range of wavelengths. A star’s spectrum is roughly that of a blackbody with superimposed spectral lines from chemical elements. The peak of emission depends on the star’s surface temperature: hot blue-white stars emit more short-wavelength light, while cooler red stars emit more long-wavelength light. By studying the spectrum, astronomers can infer a star’s composition, temperature, and motion.

As starlight travels, it can be dimmed or altered by intervening matter. Interstellar dust and gas cause extinction and reddening, making distant stars appear fainter and redder. Within the Earth’s atmosphere, scattering and absorption by air molecules and aerosols affect the observed brightness and color, contributing to effects such as the blue daytime sky and the dimming of stars near the horizon. Correcting for these effects is essential in measuring stellar distances and luminosities.

Culturally, stjernelyset is used in Norwegian language and literature as a poetic image of guidance, beauty, or the night sky. The term also appears in popular science communication and artistic works as a direct reference to the light of the stars.