How do you measure the height and length of stars in Angular size in degrees?

Question

I can only use my hands. What's the difference in length and height?PLEASE HELP!!!!!! AND THANK YOU.

Answer 1

I'm trying to figure out your question. Height makes sense if you mean distance above the horizon at a given time. That's measured in degrees. Length? Size? Distance to? Size is measured in miles or km. Distance is measured in light-years, usually. All stars, aside form the sun, are seen as points of light. We can measure their size indirectly by knowing the distance, color, temperature, and brightness. We measure their distance by parallax, for the closer ones, or by other means for the more distant ones, (very involved).

You say you only use your hands. That's telling me you must be gaging position in the sky. I don't use instruments either. I simply eyeball the sky, knowing that 90 is straight up, 45 is halfway down, etc.

Answer 2

  A star is a point source and has no disc so you can't assign a width or height in degrees.

Answer 3

I think you're asking how to estimate angular distances in the sky? Here's a few rules of thumb (and fingers):

(All these distances are for a hand held against the sky at arms length)

width of little finger: 1°

width of thumb: 2°

length of first thumb joint: 3°

width of three fingers together: 5°

fist, not counting thumb: 10°

spread hand, thumb to little finger: 20°