Background Information

What is a Star?

A star is a huge sphere of very hot, glowing gas. Stars produce their own light and energy by a process called nuclear fusion. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is also the source of the most energy on Earth. The word star originated from the greek word "aster." 

What is Nuclear Fusion?

Nuclear fusion is the process that happens when lighter elements are forced to become heavier elements. When this happens, a tremendous amount of energy is created causing the star to heat up and shine. Stars come in a variety of sizes and colors. Our Sun is an average sized yellowish star. Stars which are smaller than our Sun are reddish and larger stars are blue.