A star is a massive luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the sun. It is the source of most of the energy on Earth. Other stars are visible in the night sky when they are not  outshone by the sun.

     A star shines because of nuclear fusion. This takes place in its core and energy is released. This energy travels through the star's interior and then radiates into outer space.

     Almost all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were created inside the cones of stars.  How does  a  star form? Far in space huge clouds of gas and dust crash  into  each other. The gas and dust are left to explode. The explosions make starlight. A star is born. Stars live a long time. But no star shines forever. Stars do die. Most stars just fade away. Others die in bright blasts called supernovas. A supernova can outshine our sun even during the day.

     Groups of stars that we see from earth are called constellations. Orion is one famous constellation. You can see Orion in the winter sky. You can locate it by finding the three stars in a row that make up Orion's Belt. Most constellations were named by the Greeks and, therefore, were given Greek god and goddess names.

     There is a lot more information about stars on the internet. Here are some cool links where you can get this information:

Kids Astronomy

NASA Homepage

STARGAZERS Game

Why Stars Twinkle

Bibliography:

Ryback, C. (2006). The stars. Milwaukee, WI: Weekly Reader Early Learning Library.

Frank, M. S., Jones, R. M., Krockover, G. H., Lang, M.P., McLeod, J.C., Valenta, C. J., & Van Deman, B. A. (2002). Harcourt Science. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.