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Shooting Star

A shooting star is an upper-rejection candle after strength. Price pushed higher during the candle, but sellers forced it back down before the close.

At A Glance

Name: Shooting Star
Category: Bearish Candle Patterns
Type: Bearish Reversal / Rejection
Number of candles: 1 candle
Typical context: After an up move or into resistance.

How To Identify It

Body: Small body near the lower part of the candle range.
Wicks: Long upper wick with little or no lower wick.
Relationship: The single candle matters most after price has already pushed higher.

Look for a small body near the lower part of the candle and a long upper wick. The prior move matters: it is a shooting star when it appears after a push up, not after a selloff.

Context

A shooting star is most useful to study after a rally, near resistance, high of day, or another upper reference area. That location matters because the candle is showing an upside attempt that could not hold where buyers wanted continuation.

What It Shows

A shooting star shows that buyers tried to continue higher, but sellers rejected the move before the close. The upper wick is the evidence that higher prices were tested and not accepted.

What To Watch Next

Watch whether price stays below the upper wick area and starts losing the candle body. A stronger bearish response usually avoids reclaiming the rejected high.

The read weakens if price reclaims the upper wick area. That means traders are accepting the price zone that sellers had rejected.

Common Confusion

The same shape can be called an inverted hammer after a down move. Context changes the label.

Key Takeaway

A shooting star shows upper rejection after strength. It matters most when it appears near resistance or after an extended push.