Australian Moths Use Stars to Navigate Migration

A moth in Australia uses stars to move. This moth flies far every year for its trip. The moth uses the night sky like a compass to guide it.

When it gets hot, the moth flies to cool caves. These caves are in the Australian Alps mountains. After, the moths fly back home to have babies and then die.

Birds often use stars to find their way. These moths are the first bugs to use stars too. These moths travel very far using the stars as their guide.

Scientists wanted to learn how moths travel so far. They thought the Earth's power helped the moths move. Stars may also help them find the right way as their visual landmark.

Scientists used a fake sky to test the moths. They changed the stars to see what the moths would do. The moths flew the right way when the stars were normal and the moths got confused when the stars were changed.