# Stargazing in a mineshaft? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047 "2003-01-06T23:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zia\_nova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/bc79bd/32.png) [@zia\_nova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zia_nova)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/1 "2003-01-06T23:56:56Z")
A friend told me this and asked me to find out if it’s true or not. Like I have all the answers! If you stood at the bottom of a deep mine shaft during the daytime, could you see the stars? P.S. I promise you’ll get credit for the answer, not me ---
**Author:** ![J\_String](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@J\_String](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_String)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/2 "2003-01-07T00:02:23Z")
Nope. Try this: cover one eye, look at the sky through a length of pipe with the other. This should approximate your view from the bottom of a shaft. What do you see? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/3 "2003-01-07T00:06:55Z")
No. Someone will provide a cite, but essentially, the sun illuminates the atmosphere, not just the solid mass that is the Earth. Thus, no matter what you do, unless the Sun is removed (e.g. at night) you will not see the stars. **J String** ’s point is a valid one. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/4 "2003-01-07T00:12:12Z")
[On seeing stars in the daytime, Nov 2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144744) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/5 "2003-01-07T01:04:34Z")
This is one of those myths that persists because it’s too much hassle for anybody to actually _try_ it and find out that it’s complete bullshit. Not too many people have access to ducks and good echo sites, either. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/6 "2003-01-07T04:30:47Z")
However, if you want to collect neutrinos, the bottom of a very deep mine is a good place. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/7 "2003-01-07T04:37:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muffin \* > \*\*However, if you want to collect neutrinos, the bottom of a very deep mine is a good place. \*\* Right you are **Muffin**! I thought that was what this thread was going to be about. 😉 [sup]You’d also need several thousand gallons of dry cleaning fluid, down there with you.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/8 "2003-01-07T04:51:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > \*\*😉 [sup]You’d also need several thousand gallons of dry cleaning fluid, down there with you.[/sup] \*\* ? ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/9 "2003-01-07T04:52:27Z")
its a summer camp trick! you tell them to look through a tube, then when they do you pour water down the tube… or… something… ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stargazing-in-a-mineshaft/147047/10 "2003-01-07T05:06:08Z")
> [@](#): > > [**Dr. Davis**](http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2002/nov/05/life/20021105lif3.html) built the first solar neutrino detector. It consisted of a huge tank filled with dry-cleaning fluid in a mineshaft in South Dakota. It was put underground to avoid contamination by other particles. The chlorine atoms in Dr. Davis’ tank would be converted by neutrinos into atoms of an isotope of argon which is radioactive. Thus, every encounter could be counted. 😃 [sup]Sometimes I know what I’m talking about and then sometimes…[/sup]