Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
I know exactly what you are
Opaque ball of hot dense gas
Million times our planet's mass
Looking small because you're far
I know exactly what you are
Fusing atoms in your core
Hydrogen, helium, carbon and more
With such power you shine far
Twinkle twinkle little star
Bright when close and faint when far
I know exactly what you are
Smallest ones burn cool and slow
Still too hot to visit, though
Red stars dominate by far
Twinkle twinkle little star
Largest ones are hot and blue
Supernova when they're through
Then black hole or neutron star
I know exactly what you are
Forming from collapsing clouds
Cold and dusty gas enshrouds
Spinning, heating protostar
I know exactly what you are
I found this over at Reddit, where it was attributed to the Girl Scouts. I cannot find the source, but I liked this more educational version so much that I thought it was worth sharing.
Very nice, thanks, I'll use it with my students.
ReplyDeleteGirl Scouts? Not surprised since the RW believes they are a godless, communist, lesbian group being brainwashed by Planned Parenthood.
ReplyDeleteNice lyrics, I LIKE them!
Neil deGrasse Tyson would be proud! :-)
ReplyDeleteAdorable. On a related note, I've been watching "Eureka" on Netflix and laughing at the antics of super smart people. A relief from the idiocy that is all things Palin.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad, really, how the Republicans have been assaulting and insulting intelligence ever since calling Adlai Stephenson an "egghead."
I'm memorizing it right now!
ReplyDeleteStarkle starkle, little Twink
ReplyDeleteWho the heck you are, I think
I'm not under the affluence of incohol
as some thinkle peep I are.
It's just the drunker I sit here,
the longer I get.
Starkle starkle , little twink.
DeleteWho the heck you are?, I think..
I'm not under the alcofluence of incohol.
Tho, some thinkle peep I am.
...Thanks for the memory grandpa. R.I.P...
And that's why I love this blog- I get my soap opera fix, my politics fix, and my science and the real world fix! Thanks, Gryph. You're a gem.
ReplyDeleteThere's been a Girl Scout ad on the radio around here for several years, which included the song with different lyrics than you quoted above. All I can remember off hand is
ReplyDelete"Twinkle, twinkle little star,
You're a ball of gas that's really far.
...
When it reaches supernova stage,
It erupts in (something something) bursts of rays."
So I don't know if both versions can be attributed to the GS or not, but I'd like to think so.
It's not by the Girl Scouts. The lyrics in the OP are by Julia Kregenow, an astronomer at Penn State University.
ReplyDeleteI would not say "we know exactly"!
ReplyDeleteDark matter?