Why do we draw stars with points when they are dots?

Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ] 

NewTime
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2015
Posts: 2,122

10 May 2020, 10:50 am

Why do we draw stars with points when they are really dots?



naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,189
Location: temperate zone

10 May 2020, 11:05 am

Stars twinkle in the night sky and do seem to have tiny moving points. So, to distinguish stars from other dots, it became the convention to draw them having points. The convention probably goes back to the Bible: the Hebrews of the Old Testament adopted the six pointed star of David as their symbol.

In other parts of the world putting stars on flags just wasn't a thing. When American sailing ships first began to visit ports in China 250 years ago the local Chinese dubbed the new group foreign visitors "the flowery flag people" because they thought that the stars on the American flag must be flowers.



IsabellaLinton
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Nov 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 72,433
Location: Chez Quis

10 May 2020, 11:13 am

It's to demonstrate that they are exploding radiant energy from hydrogen and helium gas. It's similar to people drawing the sun with points of light coming out of it, representing heat or flame.


_________________
I never give you my number, I only give you my situation.
Beatles


funeralxempire
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Age: 41
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 34,313
Location: Right over your left shoulder

10 May 2020, 9:07 pm

NewTime wrote:
Why do we draw stars with points when they are really dots?


Likely for the same reason that we draw hearts like silphium fruits instead of like... well... hearts.

Ever since the symbolic representation was ingrained we've done it that way.


_________________
There's no such thing as a free market.
If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing. —Malcolm X
Just a reminder: under international law, an occupying power has no right of self-defense, and those who are occupied have the right and duty to liberate themselves by any means possible.


Mountain Goat
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 13 May 2019
Gender: Male
Posts: 15,014
Location: .

10 May 2020, 9:11 pm

Are they dots, or one pointed stars?


_________________
Verifying you are human. This may take a few seconds...