Stars are actually spherical in shape. However, they appear to be pointy with a few extended arms when we look up at the night sky. This is due to diffraction, which is the bending of light as it passes around an object or through a slit inside an object. The lens inside our eyes also contributes to this effect by bending the light that enters our eyes. Therefore, the universally accepted image of stars is the pointy shape with a few extended arms. However, this is not the actual shape of stars.