How do we know, for instance, that the stars, which look like tiny pinpricks in the sky, are really huge balls of fire like the sun and are very far away?

例如，恒星看上去好像在天空中刺出的小孔。我们是如何知道恒星其实是像太阳一样的大火球，并且它们离我们非常远？

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Recent experiments have featured pink balls, as the cricket authorities look for a ball which is highly visible under floodlights, but will allow the players still to wear whites.

BBC: Does the white ball behave differently?