1) On a clear night, the unaided human eye can see about 6,000 stars, though light pollution limits this to a few hundred in urban/suburban areas. 2) Constellations originally referred to patterns of the brightest stars representing mythological figures, though today they are defined regions of the sky regardless of star brightness. 3) The apparent motion of stars is caused by the Earth's rotation on its axis and revolution around the Sun, making some stars appear to rise and set daily or be visible only seasonally.