78 Light From Space-Mid

Light from Space FOCUS Question What kind of objects in the night sky give off light?

The Sun On a sunny day, it is bright and warm. The Sun gives off light that shines on Earth. The sunlight keeps us warm and gives us daylight. How does it do this? The Sun is a star. a giant ball of burning gas. The gas is so hot that it glows brightly.

Outside, you might see trees, flowers and animals. How can you see these things? Light from the Sun reflects, or bounces off them. Some of that light enters your eyes. Without sunlight, Earth would be dark. You wouldn't be able to see many things.

Stars The Sun is not the only object in the sky that gives off light. Look at the sky at night. You can see many tiny dots of light. Those twinkling lights in the night sky are stars. Each star gives off its own light.

Other stars do not look as bright as the Sun because they are so far away. Together, all of those stars make starlight on Earth. Do You Know? Long ago, sailors used only the stars to help them find their way. They would look at groups of stars, called constellations, to guide them.

The Moon If you are outside at night, you may notice something else bright in the night sky—the Moon! Even though the Moon looks bright in the sky, it does not make its own light.