The Wondrous Night Sky

When my daughter recites twinkle, twinkle, little star, I am tempted to answer her question regarding what they are: "Giant collections of particles moving in all directions colliding into one another at high speeds forming larger particles in fusion reactions that give off heat and light..."  And then I remember that she turns three this summer.

I got to thinking about stars when a couple of callers rang me up the other day on my call-in show.  OK, I don't have a call-in show.  It was just a couple of friends calling me at home with questions about stars.  They were either genuinely curious about these glowing masses or were poking fun at my passion for all things science.  I am going to assume it was genuine curiosity, and answer their questions below.