At night, when you look at a star directly, the image of the star hits the fovea of your retina and you find it difficult to see it very clearly. This is because this area

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The fovea is densely packed with cones, not rods, and is responsible for high-acuity vision in bright light. At night, rods, which are more sensitive to light but not present in the fovea, are more useful for seeing. This is why looking directly at a dim star can make it seem to disappear; the part of your retina best suited for low-light conditions (rich in rods) is not being used.  Rods are the receptor cells on the retina that work best in near darkness.

At Night, When You Look at a Star Directly, the Image