why do stars in space have five points to them. Why arn't they round like planets?

Answer 1

Stars don't actually have points. When you see photographs of stars and there are points it is because you are seeing diffraction spikes.

Certain telescopes use two mirrors to collect and direct light. One of these mirrors is mounted in the middle up front. It is held in place by what is called a spider vein. These are basically three or four rods. The mirror and rods are in the path of the light. Light, however, has a wave nature and generally bends (diffracts) around them. It does not do so perfectly, however, and where the diffraction occures, you see spikes of light.

You don't see this with planets because when you look at a planet in a telescope it can generally resolve the disk. Stars, on the other hand, are far away and appear only as point sources.

Answer 2

All stars in the universe are round; it is the simplest shape with the least surface area. The reason they look 'pointy' is because their light is being refracted and bounced around by the Earths atmosphere, the pollution in the atmosphere and heat rising from the Earths surface.

Answer 3

Hey do you really think that stars have 5 points? How old r u? 2?
Ofcourse they are round and they look round too if you view them from a good telescope

Answer 4

They are round like planets. Look at our sun, its a star and it looks round.

Answer 5

They are round like planets. Poor eyesight and unsteady atmospheric conditions can fool us. Look at them through binoculars, you will see points of light.

Answer 6

Stars give a radiation emission, while planets, and satellites for that matter, only reflect light.

Answer 7

,planets reflect light from the sun and stars create there own light and appear to twinkle, but that is more to do with our atmosphere

Answer 8

they are round. you probably just see cartoon stars and assume that actual stars in space are the same way lol.

Answer 9

maybe it's to signify their brightness or shinyness