Stars & Space

Explore constellations, star brightness, and our solar system

Stars are enormous balls of hot gas (mostly hydrogen and helium) that produce light and heat through nuclear fusion. Our Sun is the closest star to Earth. Stars appear as tiny points of light because they are incredibly far away. Some stars look brighter than others — this depends on both their actual size and how far they are from us. A very large star far away might look dimmer than a smaller star that is closer. Groups of stars that form patterns in the sky are called constellations. Ancient people used constellations to navigate and tell stories. Our solar system has eight planets orbiting the Sun, each at a different distance.