# Can dogs see the stars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834 "2014-03-29T16:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/1 "2014-03-29T16:09:11Z")
When I walk my dog after dark, can he see the little lights up in the sky too? Or is his vision too poor? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/2 "2014-03-29T17:08:44Z")
A dog’s visual acuity is quite low as compared to a human. Some good information [here](http://dog-vision.com/), and some comparisons of human/canine vision [here](http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/how-does-a-dog-see-the-world/houndsight-isnt-2020). Based on that information, I’m guessing no. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/3 "2014-03-29T18:04:46Z")
We don’t necessarily care about acuity in the sense of resolution. We can’t resolve stars either (except for the sun). Whether dogs sense bright spots depends more on how much light a spot has to emit to appear bright to them. I’m going to guess they can see at least a few of the very brightest stars. Sirius, for example. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/4 "2014-03-29T18:31:01Z")
According to the link above, a dog’s visual acuity is about five times worse than a human’s. Since the visibility of stars is usually limited by background light, the lowered visual acuity should require about 25 times as much light for a star to be seen. In dark skies, all of the stars in the big dipper should be visible to a dog. Venus, Jupiter, and bright stars like Sirius should be visible even with some light pollution. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/5 "2014-03-29T18:32:46Z")
Dogs are partially colorblind (they only have 2 sets of cones instead of 3 like we have) and don’t see details in daylight as well as we do. They also see motion better than we do, though. Basically, they have a higher concentration of rods and a lower concentration of cones than we do, IIRC, and the proportions of where those types of cells are concentrated in their eyes differs from ours. However, dogs also have a structure in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum which is right behind the retina and reflects light back onto the rods and cones for a second chance to pick up low light levels. Humans don’t have this. This structure gives dogs better night vision than what we have. (ETA - cats have this structure too, as do many nocturnal hunters) I honestly don’t know how it works out, but I suspect that the tapetum lucidum more than makes up for he smaller concentration of cones, allowing dogs to see stars better than we can. That’s just a guess on my part though. This isn’t my field of expertise. Maybe one of our resident animal/biology experts can comment on this. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/6 "2014-03-29T19:12:14Z")
They can’t see them very well, but they can smell them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/7 "2014-03-29T19:57:04Z")
Cones aren’t much use for seeing stars, anyway. Rods are much more efficient than cones for detecting faint light. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/8 "2014-03-29T20:00:07Z")
Everybody knows dogs can’t look up. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/9 "2014-03-29T20:03:05Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > We don’t necessarily care about acuity in the sense of resolution. We can’t resolve stars either (except for the sun). Whether dogs sense bright spots depends more on how much light a spot has to emit to appear bright to them. I’m going to guess they can see at least a few of the very brightest stars. > > Sirius, for example. I saw what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/10 "2014-03-29T20:37:10Z")
I’d guess the lowered visual acuity might not be an issue here for seeing at least some of the stars. A dog’s vision is generally given as about 20/75. My uncorrected vision is worse than that, and I can see stars without my glasses. They’re just a bit fuzzy compared to the more distinct pinpoints I see with my glasses on, and I can’t see the fainter ones. Incidently, it’s the tapetum which is partially responsible for the dog’s lowered visual acuity. It helps gather more light, but at the penalty of blurring the retinal image. Of course, as dogs aren’t nearly as visually oriented as we are, they probably don’t care about them. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/11 "2014-03-29T21:00:18Z")
Boo-hoo ☹ That question makes me think of Laika. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/12 "2014-03-29T22:05:57Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > They can’t see them very well, but they can smell them. They especially like to smell Uranus… cue the Urectum joke ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/13 "2014-03-30T00:51:43Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by Ulfreida View Post \*\*\*They can’t see them very well, but they can smell them. They especially like to smell Uranus… * * * Very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/14 "2014-03-30T01:09:53Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > They’re just a bit fuzzy That depends on the breed. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/15 "2014-03-30T01:12:37Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > They can’t see them very well, but they can smell them. And hear them. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/16 "2014-03-30T01:21:16Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Everybody knows dogs can’t look up. That’s what Big Al says. Is there a reason that dogs would need to SEE stars? After all humans can see them and with a few exceptions (such as Polaris) that particular skill is of limited use. Would there be an evolutionary advantage for dogs to be able to see them? After all, their dispersal across five of the seven continents (Australia and Antarctica don’t count as we introduced them there) states their current evolutionary track seems to be working out pretty well for them without the ability… ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/17 "2014-03-30T13:40:59Z")
I’m thinking they can probably see them. They just never _notice_ them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/18 "2014-03-30T17:46:22Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Is there a reason that dogs would need to SEE stars? After all humans can see them and with a few exceptions (such as Polaris) that particular skill is of limited use. Would there be an evolutionary advantage for dogs to be able to see them? Birds can recognize star patterns and use them in migration. While I’m not sure if this capacity has been demonstrated in dogs, it’s possible that in some circumstances recognizing the positions of certain stars and star patterns could assist with orientation at night. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/19 "2014-03-30T22:33:02Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > […] Is there a reason that dogs would need to SEE stars? After all humans can see them and with a few exceptions (such as Polaris) that particular skill is of limited use. Would there be an evolutionary advantage for dogs to be able to see them? […] Is there some line of reasoning waiting in the wings here, such as “humans have no evolutionary need to see stars, and we can see them, and dogs have no evolutionary need to see stars, so they probably can”? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834/20 "2014-03-31T01:02:21Z")
There is no need for humans or dogs to see stars, but there is a need for both of us to be able to see stars. The same eyes that see stars also see a lot of other more immediately-relevant things, and any eye that’s good enough to see those other things will also be able to see stars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-see-the-stars/684834.md?page=2)