Stars are not cool. In fact, they’re really hot. Stars are glowing, rotating balls of gas, which, combined with very high temperatures and lots of pressure, cause a star’s energy to continuously move from deep inside to its surface— thus producing the light we see.

More stars than you can count (or imagine). What we see is only a fraction of the stars in the universe. Astronomers estimate that there are more than 200billion billion stars.

Moonlight isn’t really moonlight. Stars shine on their own, but non-stars, such as planets and moons, only reflect the light around them. So moonlight is actually sunlight—the sun is the closest star to Earth—reflecting off the moon’s surface.

Star light, star bright. The reason stars look different is that they vary in size, color, composition, temperature, and distance from Earth. All these factors determine how bright a star appears to be. Stars are different colors because of their temperatures. The hottest ones are white or bluish. The coolest ones are reddish orange.

Exploring the Night Sky

Here are some tips for successful stargazing:

• Pick a night that is moonless, without clouds or fog.
• Go to a place with the least light. If you go in your backyard, turn off the house lights.
• Dress warmly. Bring a hot drink if you want.
• Let your eyes get used to the dark.
• Bring a chair or blanket so you can sit comfortably.
• Bring binoculars if you have them.

Night Sky Scavenger Hunt

Look for these things:

• The first star you see (make a wish!)
• A familiar constellation
• A “star” that appears to be moving (it could be an airplane or a satellite)
• A twinkling star (there may be clouds or atmospheric gases moving in front of it)
• The brightest star you see (it may be a planet)
• Clouds
• Different colors in the night sky

Online Bonus!

Catching a Glimpse of the Constellations

There are 88 official constellations. Pictured on this page are some of those commonly seen on clear winter nights. Can you find any of them?

Nature’s GPS

If you can find the Big Dipper, you can find north. With your eyes or finger, trace an imaginary line through the two stars at the end of the bowl farthest from the handle. Then continue the line you traced until it hits the first bright star. This star is Polaris, the North Star. It is the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper. If you face Polaris, you are facing true north. Navigators in the northern hemisphere, both past and present, use the Big Dipper and Polaris to find their way around the Earth. Navigation based on the positions of celestial bodies—the sun, moon, planets, and stars—is called celestial navigation, or astronavigation

Moon Watch

Go out when there is a full or nearly, full moon rising early in the evening. With binoculars (or a telescope if you happen to have one) take a look at the moon. Anything you can see, such as craters, bumps, dark areas, and spots, is as large as a football field in order to be visible to you.

A Starry Story
In many cultures, stargazing played an important part in religion and mythology. As people looked at the night sky, they saw patterns and pictures in the stars. They made up stories or myths to explain what they saw. 

You can also be a star mythologist:

• Go to the library or search online for myths about stars. Read some that interest you.
• Draw a pattern from stars you see in the night sky, or make up your own.
• Write your own story about your star design associated with a hero or animal you admire.