starlight

Everyday

1. Starlight is the light that comes from the stars. tree →
2. It is the faint light you see on a clear night when there is no moon. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about space, starlight travels huge distances; the light we see from a star left it long ago, so we see the star as it was. In stories and poems, starlight makes a scene magical and quiet. Phrases: «by starlight», «twinkling starlight».

Examples

• We walked home by starlight. tree →
• Starlight shone on the frozen lake. tree →
• Starlight from far stars takes a very long time to reach us. tree →
• In the city, street lamps hide the starlight. tree →
• The owl hunted by starlight. tree →
• The poem describes silver starlight on the sea. tree →
• It was a lovely starlight night in the beginning of September, and the air was mild and still. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «starlight», not «a starlight». Starlight is very dim compared with moonlight or sunlight. Fact: the Sun is a star too, but we call its light «sunlight». Stars seem to twinkle because their light passes through moving air.