NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Investigation: Do people everywhere see the same number of stars in the night sky? Why or why not?

How many stars can you see on a clear night where you live? Do you think students in different parts of the world would see a different number of stars? Why would there be a difference?

Astronaut Steven G. MacLean is a mission specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency. Credit: NASA

Join Star Count and find out if people see different numbers of stars. But don't stop there. Use all of the data to find out why differences might occur. Count the number of stars you can see where you live. Share your data with students from around the world. Compare your data with theirs. If results differ, look at the data and figure out why.

Astronaut MacLean performed this investigation on board Space Shuttle Atlantis in September 2006 during the STS-115 mission.
Steve MacLean's investigation results  →
STS-115 mission information
 

	Prepare for Your Star Count You need to do a few things before you begin counting stars. This section will tell you what equipment you need and where to get some basic information. Get Prepared
	Count the Stars Have you done all of your preparations? Then you are ready to find out how to count the stars where you live. Don’t worry. You don’t have to count every star. This procedure will show you an easy way. Count Stars
	Enter Data Online Once you have completed the Star Count Data Sheet, you will be ready to submit your data online. This entry makes your data available to other students involved in Star Count in other parts of the world. Enter Data  →
	View Other Student Data Students from different parts of the world have counted stars and entered their data. You can view their data and compare their results with yours. Are the Star Counts different? View Student Data  →