In books, What do the three asterisks or spaced dots mean?

Question: In books, What do the three asterisks or spaced dots mean!?

Like in a book you're reading and just before a paragraph starts or ends there are these three asterisks (sometimes dots) like this:
* * *
In the middle of the page!. Is this like the turning point of the story!? Does it mean to watch out for something!? I know it isn't the climax because its usually towars the beginning or middle of the book!. I love reading and I have read lots of books with that in them I just never knew what they meant!. Thanks in advance! =] xWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

They mean the story switches scenes or point-of-view!. They're also good stopping places in books for when you don't want to read all the way to the next chapter or stop in the middle of a scene!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's sort of like a scene change!. When the subject, or situation swaps to something else!. It's easy to separate situations by chapter, but when you need to separate them within a chapter asterisk's are used, or sometimes just a space!.

It can also separate a view point - if it's going from something written from one person point of view, to something else in someone else's point of view!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's a page break!. It just means that it's going onto another scene that would not flow from the last without a pause!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Here is what I think!.!.!. *** means a break, in viewpoint or scene!.!.!.and the three periods means a pause!.Www@QuestionHome@Com