There may be an estimated 1 septillion of them in the universe, but stars aren’t a commodity.

Seeing them in our skies is an experience that influences how we view our universe, Earth’s place in it and, in many ways, our own lives.

Stars are made up of hot gas, and live for up to trillions of years. They are composed of molecular clouds of gas and dust, in which the cold causes the gas to clump. When these clumps collide with each other, they grow in mass until they collapse.

The friction of the collapse generates heat and creates a protostar. Across its lifetime, it shapes solar systems, planets and life — and galaxies beyond. 

The Sun is our closest star, but it’s not the only one we can see with our own eyes or best astronomical technology, such as the James Webb Telescope.

The Milky Way alone has more than 100 billion stars.

Research fellow at the Monash School of Physics and Astronomy Dr Alexey Bobrick says sometimes stars evolve and can become very old. 

“At some point, the sun will also evolve and become a red giant, and then later on become a white dwarf. Sometimes stars explode,” he says. 

It’s no wonder that, given the ever-expanding size of the universe, so many people try to view a glimpse of it — from leisure stargazers to expert astronomers.

Bobrick says most scientists and astronomers are very emotionally attached to the things they study, and not purely scientific. 

“I actually was looking for the most complicated topic possible. I found general relativity," he says. "I thought it was really, really cool.” 

With technology rapidly advancing, knowledge of space is expanding too. 

The James Webb Space Telescope has the capacity to capture images from every phase of the universe. 

“I think that technology development is driven by us learning more. It’s kind of a positive feedback loop," he says.

'I think an illustrative point is that about 100 years ago, it was still not obvious that we live in a galaxy." 

He recommends anyone interested in stars to use a telescope or binoculars to look up at the sky, and to check NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. 

With so much in space to learn about and so many unanswered astronomical questions, it can be daunting to start stargazing, even with the small patch of sky we see daily. 

The experience of feeling small when thinking or viewing space from the perspective of Earth has been talked about by astronauts and even has a name, the 'overview effect’. 

Yet this effect doesn’t stop astronomers from continuing their research and encouraging others to engage in stargazing. 

Kelly Clitheroe, President of Dark Skies Victoria and the Geelong Section Director of the Astronomy Society of Victoria (ASV), says the ever-changing quality of space is why she likes astronomy.

“I always know it’s coming up for winter when I start seeing Scorpius in the sky, or I know summer’s coming up because … at 5 o’clock in the morning, I go out and Orion’s in the sky,” she says.

Due to light pollution, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see the stars, especially in inner-city Melbourne, where Clitheroe lives. 

In the 2021 City of Melbourne Lighting Strategy, plans for new and dynamic public lighting suggest involving the ASV for advice.

However, considering the strategy estimates a cost of $20.4 million to fund the public lighting plans, reducing light pollution does not appear to be a priority.

In an act to reduce light pollution, Clitheroe explains it’s simply a matter of ensuring the lights aren’t directed upwards.

“At no point at all is anyone saying, ‘No lights, you have to turn everything off’, because that’s just not safe.”

She says putting shields on the lights, to ensure the light is aimed and directional, and lowering their intensity are also methods of keeping our skies dark.

“It’s a primordial thing, you know, we’ve got this inbuilt fear of the dark, but we don’t have to have it,” Clitheroe says.

For years the dark sky has engaged stargazers across Australia, from the glow of astrophotography festivals and dark-sky tourism trails to community efforts to curb light pollution, not to mention the very establishment of the Melbourne Observatory, which has contributed significantly to research in astronomy since 1861. 

In 2015, Monash University even broke the world record for the most people stargazing!

Nowadays, astronomers from the ASV run guided tours called Stellar Nights.

And recently, in Western Australia, dark-sky tourism has so grown in popularity, especially in the regions, that there are plans to make the state a stargazing tourist destination. After 15,000 visitors travelled to the Exmouth region to view the April 2023 eclipse, there has been a state-wide incentive to provide more opportunities and spaces for viewing stellar events in regional towns.

The future-thinking astro-tourism project is based on Australia’s visitor economy strategy, THRIVE 2030, focusing on First Nations experiences and sustainability.

First Nations tour guide and Yinggarda woman Rennee Turner, who is the owner of Wooramulla Eco Cultural Journeys in Carnarvon, is included in the project outline, noting how sharing creation stories can be part of the star tours.

Clitheroe says how Australians are spoiled in the Southern Hemisphere, as we have the longest viewing hours with the Milky Way.

For stargazing places a drive away from Melbourne, Clitheroe recommends several regions of Victoria.

“We’ve got Shepparton, Wimmera, Hamilton, Mildura, Bendigo. So if you’re anywhere in any of those places, there’s absolute opportunities."

Clearly, as long as the light of stars continues to reach us, there will always be stargazers.