Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Understand that most stars would resemble the Sun, our closest star, if we could see them from the same distance. The Sun is an average-size yellow star.
Find closely spaced spots of light in the sky. According to astronomers, anywhere from half to three-quarters of all stars belong to a binary system, in which two or more stars orbit each other. Our closest binary system is the Alpha Centauri system, made up of Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B.
View twinkling lights that seem to stand still. Actually, all objects in space are in constant movement, but because stars move in an orbit, they appear stationery. (The position of most stars in the night sky does change over time, but that's because your vantage point on Earth is changing with the planet's rotation.) Flashing lights might be satellites, and what people refer to as "shooting stars" aren't stars at all, but meteors.
Seek glowing lights of different colors. Depending on the type of star and where it is in its life cycle, stars can emit yellow, red, blue or white colors.
Discover where to find specific stars with a star chart. Star charts show the position of stars based on where you view from and the time of year. Some newspapers carry star charts. You can also ask for one at a planetarium or log on to Skymaps.com.