Stars and Exoplanets
A\xa0star\xa0is an\xa0astronomical object\xa0comprising a luminous\xa0spheroid\xa0of\xa0plasma\xa0held together by\xa0self-gravity. The\xa0nearest star\xa0to\xa0Earth\xa0is the\xa0Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at\xa0night, but their immense distances from Earth make them appear as\xa0fixed\xa0points of light. The most prominent stars have been categorised into\xa0constellations\xa0and\xa0asterisms, and many of the brightest stars have\xa0proper names.\xa0Astronomers\xa0have assembled\xa0star catalogues\xa0that identify the known stars and provide standardized\xa0stellar designations. The\xa0observable universe\xa0contains an estimated\xa01022\xa0to\xa01024\xa0stars. Only about 4,000 of these stars are visible to the naked eye,[1]\xa0all within the\xa0Milky Way\xa0galaxy.
Our theme song was written and performed by Anna Bosnick. If you\u2019d like to support the show on a per episode basis, you can find our Patreon page here.\xa0 Be sure to check our website for more details.