How to spot a Shooting Star
- Small body near the low
- Long upper wick, about twice the body or more
- Little or no lower wick
- Forms after a rise, ideally at resistance
What the Shooting Star tells you
Buyers drove price well above the open, then sellers pushed it back down near the low before the close. At resistance, that rejection often marks the area where sellers are defending price.
How traders use it
- Wait for the next candle to close below the shooting star body
- Enter short or take profit on longs after confirmation
- Place the stop just above the upper wick
- Target the next support zone
Common mistakes
- Trading it in the middle of a range
- Shorting a strong breakout just because of one wick
- Placing the stop inside the wick
See it on a real chart · EP 01Candlestick Patterns for BeginnersWatch the free lesson →
Questions about the Shooting Star
Is a shooting star bullish or bearish?
Bearish. A shooting star after a rally signals that sellers rejected higher prices. It is stronger at resistance and after confirmation.
What does the long upper wick mean?
It shows that buyers pushed price up during the candle but could not hold it. Sellers took control before the close.
For education only, not financial advice. The chart is an illustration of the pattern, not real market data. No pattern works every time; always use a stop-loss.