OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaA star is a giant ball of hot, glowing gas that shines brightly in space! Stars are what make our night sky so beautiful. When you look up at night, every little dot of light you see is a star that is very, very far away.
Stars are made mostly of two gases called hydrogen and helium. Deep inside a star, these gases get squeezed together so tightly that they release huge amounts of energy. That energy comes out as light and heat, which is why stars shine! Stars look tiny because they are so far away, but they are actually enormous. Many stars are much bigger than Earth.
- Our Sun is the closest star to Earth.
- The next closest star is over four light-years away.
- Stars are born inside giant clouds of gas and dust called nebulas.
- There are billions and billions of stars in our galaxy alone!
