* Formation: Stars are born from massive clouds of gas and dust that collapse under their own gravity. This process generates immense heat and pressure, leading to nuclear fusion in the core. Planets form from the leftover material orbiting a star.
* Size and Mass: Stars are much more massive than planets. Our Sun, a relatively small star, is about 333,000 times more massive than Earth. Some stars can be hundreds of times larger than the Sun!
* Energy Production: Stars produce their own light and heat through nuclear fusion. Planets, on the other hand, reflect light from their star.
Exception: There are some massive gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn that are significantly larger than some smaller stars, but they are still much less massive.
In general, though, stars are the giants of the universe.
