Starting from the differential equation describing the path of a photon in the Schwarzschild field of a spherically symmetric non‐rotating star in empty space we derive the condition for the light emitted from such a star to return to its surface, and describe some features of its orbit. The principal results are(a)only stars of radius < 1‐5 (in units of the Schwarzschild radius) can recapture their photons,(b)no photon which is ultimately recaptured goes further than 1 ‐5 units from the centre of the star, (c) provided the stellar radius is <l‐5 the angular diameter of the star as seen by a distant observer isindependentof that radius.