The HTML file:

<html>
<head>
   <script src="stars.js" defer></script>
</head>
<body>
    <canvas id="sky" 
            width="100" 
            height="100" 
            style="border:1px solid black;"></canvas>
     <p>
    <button type="button" id="start"> Start</button>
    <button type="button" id="end" disabled="true"> End</button>
</body>
</html>

stars.js

"use strict"

const STAR_COUNT = 50;
const MAX_SIZE = 5;
let starArray = [];

// canvas stuff
const canvas = document.getElementById("sky");
const context = canvas.getContext("2d");
const height = canvas.height = 400;
const width = canvas.width = 400;

// button stuff
const StartButton = document.getElementById("start");
const EndButton = document.getElementById("end");

const colors = ["red", "green", "blue", "cyan", "magenta", "yellow"];

context.clearRect(0,0,width, height);

function RandomInt(max) {
    return Math.floor(Math.random() * max);
}

function RandomColor() {
    const size = colors.length
    return colors[RandomInt(size)]
}

function CreateStars() {
   if (starArray.length !== 0) {
       starArray = []
   }

   for (let i = 0; i < STAR_COUNT; ++i) {
       let   star = {x: RandomInt(width), 
                     y: RandomInt(height),
                     color : RandomColor(),
                     size: RandomInt(MAX_SIZE)+1,
                     growing : RandomInt(2) == 1}
       starArray.push(star);
   }
}

function DisplayStars() {
    context.fillStyle = "black";
    context.fillRect(0,0,width, height)
    for (let star of starArray) {
       context.fillStyle = star.color;
       context.fillRect(star.x, star.y, star.size, star.size);
    }
}

function ChangeStars() {
    let change;

    // switch directions if needed
    for (let i in starArray) {
       if ((starArray[i].size <= 0 && !starArray[i].growing) 
            || (starArray[i].size >= MAX_SIZE && starArray[i].growing)) {
           starArray[i].growing = !starArray[i].growing 
        }

        if (starArray[i].growing ) {
           change = 1;
        } else {
           change = -1;
        }

        starArray[i].size += change;
    }
}

function DoStep() {
    ChangeStars()
    DisplayStars();
}

let timer;
let running = false;

function StartAnimation() {
   if (running == false) {
       running = true;
       timer =  setInterval(DoStep, 150);
       StartButton.disabled = true;
       EndButton.disabled = false;
   }
}

function StopAnimation() {
   if (running == true) {
       running = false;
       clearInterval(timer); 
       StartButton.disabled = false;
       EndButton.disabled = true;
   }
}

CreateStars();
DisplayStars();

// make sure the timer is in sync with the program
StartButton.addEventListener("click", StartAnimation);
StartButton.disabled = false;
EndButton.addEventListener("click", StopAnimation);
EndButton.disabled = true;