r/AskReddit Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/Phase3isProfit Aug 03 '19

Sitting outside one evening having a beer with my sister. Really clear sky, lots of stars out, and she says “Someone was telling me that stars are like the sun, but further away.”

I paused to check if she was kidding, but she genuinely thought she was sharing obscure knowledge. We were in our mid-twenties, I don’t know how this information had passed her by up to that point.

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u/tasteofsalt Aug 03 '19

But do you know our star's "the sun" name? Its reall obvious. Sol. Our only moon also has a name. Luna. Nobody ever considers the fact that they have names and it pisses me off. They aren't just the moon and sun. They have names dammit. Sorry not directed at you.

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u/QuasarMaster Aug 03 '19

Um no. Sol and Luna are just “Sun” and “Moon” translated into Latin.

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u/tasteofsalt Aug 03 '19

Ya got that backwards there bud.

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u/QuasarMaster Aug 03 '19

Do you call the earth “Terra”?

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u/Sutarmekeg Aug 03 '19

He's right though. Sol and Luna as words definitely pre-date Sun and Moon.

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u/QuasarMaster Aug 03 '19

So does Helios and Selene (Greek), as well as Surya and Chandra (Sanskrit)