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[[Image:Moooghj.jpg|300px|right]]'''Stars''' are extremely large, luminous bodies of gas. They are the most obvious features found in the [[universe]].  They are principally composed of [[hydrogen]] that is undergoing nuclear [[fusion]] to become [[helium]]. Our sun, ([[Sol]]), is the nearest star to Earth, at a distance averaging 93 million miles. The Earth orbits the sun in a period of approximately 365.25 days, and this defines the [[year]]. The diameter of the sun, which is a typical star, is about 870,000 miles and its power output is about 10²⁶ watts. The temperature inside the sun is estimated to be in excess of ten million degrees, and this is hot enough for [[nuclear fusion|nuclear reactions]] to occur.

[[Image:Moooghj.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The [[Sun]] is our nearest star and is much larger than the [[Earth]], which is shown for comparison.]]'''Stars''' are extremely large, luminous bodies of gas. They are the most obvious features found in the [[universe]].  They are principally composed of [[hydrogen]] that is undergoing nuclear [[fusion]] to become [[helium]]. Our sun, ([[Sol]]), is the nearest star to Earth, at a distance averaging 93 million miles. The Earth orbits the sun in a period of approximately 365.25 days, and this defines the [[year]]. The diameter of the sun, which is a typical star, is about 870,000 miles and its power output is about 10²⁶ watts. The temperature inside the sun is estimated to be in excess of ten million degrees, and this is hot enough for [[nuclear fusion|nuclear reactions]] to occur.

In Genesis, the stars were made in the fourth day,<ref>[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Gen 1:14]</ref> and their number is compared to the number of descendants of Abraham.<ref>[Genesis 9-16 (Translated)|Gen 15:5]; an earlier count of the number of descendants of Abraham was the number of grains of dust of the Earth (Gen 13:16)</ref>

In Genesis, the stars were made in the fourth day,<ref>[[Genesis 1-8 (Translated)|Gen 1:14]]</ref> and their number is compared to the number of descendants of Abraham.<ref>[[Genesis 9-16 (Translated)|Gen 15:5]]; an earlier count of the number of descendants of Abraham was the number of grains of dust of the Earth (Gen 13:16)</ref>

The [[Bible]] implies that the number of stars is virtually countless,<ref>[Jeremiah 27-34 (Translated)|Jeremiah 33:22]; similarly to Genesis, the number of descendants of David is compared to the number of stars and the number of grains of sand</ref> but for many years this was not accepted.  Hipparchus in 128 B.C. stated there were 1,026 stars in the sky.  [[Kepler]] in 1600 A.D. did his own count and found the number to be 1,005.  Today, thanks to telescopes (especially the [[Hubble Telescope]]) showing many stars previously too dim to be seen, we are now aware of some 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7×10²⁵) stars.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/22/stars.survey Star survey reaches 70 sextillion]</ref>

The [[Bible]] implies that the number of stars is virtually countless,<ref>[[Jeremiah 27-34 (Translated)|Jeremiah 33:22]]; similarly to Genesis, the number of descendants of David is compared to the number of stars and the number of grains of sand</ref> but for many years this was not accepted.  Hipparchus in 128 B.C. stated there were 1,026 stars in the sky.  [[Kepler]] in 1600 A.D. did his own count and found the number to be 1,005.  Today, thanks to telescopes (especially the [[Hubble Telescope]]) showing many stars previously too dim to be seen, we are now aware of some 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7×10²⁵) stars.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/22/stars.survey Star survey reaches 70 sextillion]</ref>

==Measuring stellar positions==

==Measuring stellar positions==