On a clear, dark night, with good eyesight, you can see about three thousand stars overhead. With the aid of binoculars you can see many more, and with the light-gathering power of large telescopes the number increases still further. Altogether, there are about 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Their light merges with that from interstellar clouds of gas and dust to form the silvery band that stretches from horizon to horizon in the night sky.

We'll proceed by posing four questions. Click on the questions for answers.

1. What Are Stars?

2. What Makes Stars Shine?

3. Do Stars Shine Forever?

4. Why Are Stars Important to Us?


Stars -- An Introduction teacher's guide.

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