#134 Images of the Sun, Moon, and Stars
Among the halachos of Avoda Zara, idol worship, the Torah tells us, “Lo saasun iti", interpreted by Chazal to mean "d’mus shamoshei hameshamshim l'fonai bamorom”, one may not make images of the sun, the moon, and any of the heavenly hosts. This prohibition applies to any picture of the sun, moon, and stars, whether the images are shoikaas, embedded in the text or the material, or boiletes, protruding as a raised image, and according to many poskim, even to a partial picture. Even if someone else, including a non-Jew, made these images for a Jew, it is prohibited to keep them in one’s house. If there is an educational need to make such a picture, one should consult a Rov to find out how to do this without violating this serious issur.