What Are Stars Made Of?

Whenever we look at stars twinkling up in the sky, it’s hard not to ask the question: What are stars made of? The answer is that stars, including our sun, are made of very hot gas, mostly hydrogen and helium. They are constantly exploding, releasing energy by radiation into the universe. After a star runs out of fuel it either shrinks to a very dense dark object or it  “recycles” its material by ejecting much of it into space, where it can go on to form planets. We call this a Supernova. In “Starfish and Space Dust”, the second adventure in the illustrated children’s book series about the adventures of Morgan and Little Fly, Morgan also asks his parents “what are stars are made of?” In the end, he and his friend find out the answer. They meet a wise old Starfish after an adventure that takes them through lagoons and rock pools in the South African resort of Plettenberg Bay.

In real life, of course, we’re not likely to find a friendly Starfish responding to questions like “what are stars made of?” So how do we know what stars are made of when none of us have ever been to one. The answer: studying the light that stars send down to us. Light actually comes in waves, and the length of that wave determines the color of the light. Understanding that light is like trying to break a code, and scientists use an instrument called a spectrometer to do that. This works because the light from each element has its own unique spectrum. The light also helps scientists work out the where the stars are located.

Check out these sites if you want to learn more about the stars and astronomy for kids: http://astro.berkeley.edu

Astronomy at Northwestern University
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/
spaceenvironment/zoom-whatis.html

Ideas for science projects http://www.edinformatics.com/science_projects/
astronomical_spectroscopy.htm

The secret code of starlight
http://physics.memphis.edu/starlight/

National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov

Want a book that teaches your kid what stars are made of? Get your copy of Starfish and Spacedust now!