Experts reveal the truth about wishing on a star

When you make a wish upon a star, it’s easy to imagine that the light you’re seeing may be ancient, perhaps from a star that has already burned out.

However, as perScience Alert, this idea is more myth than reality. Laura Nicole Driessen, a postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy at the University of Sydney, explains that the stars we see in the night sky are likely still alive and shining brightly.

Stars are closer than you think

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A common misconception is that the stars we wish upon are "millions of light years away." As Driessen explains, most of the stars we can see are actually much closer.

All visible stars are within our galaxy, the Milky Way, which is about 100,000 light-years across. The furthest stars visible to the naked eye are only about 74,000 light years away, as per Science Alert reports—far less than the "millions of light years" often cited.

Stars live longer than you expect

Driessen points out that many visible stars, including those in the Yale Bright Star Catalogue, can live for billions of years. While some massive stars have shorter lifespans, lasting only a few hundred thousand years, many stars visible to us are "main sequence" stars, which live for billions of years. Even giant stars can last long enough for your wish to travel to them, says Driessen, making the likelihood of wishing on a dead star quite low.

If you’re still concerned about wishing upon a star that might no longer exist, Driessen suggests Alpha Centauri as a safe bet. Located just four light years away, Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to Earth. With three stars in the system, there’s no shortage of options for your wish to reach a star that’s still shining, and it will remain stable for a long time, as Science Alert notes.

So next time you make a wish, rest assured that the star you're wishing on is likely still very much alive.

(With inputs from agencies)