The Life and Death of Stars

Explains how stars are born, how they evolve and their ultimate fates, for a broad general audience.

Kenneth R. Lang (Author)

9781107016385, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 March 2013

363 pages, 155 b/w illus. 32 colour illus. 42 tables
26 x 18.5 x 2.4 cm, 0.91 kg

'Lang could have titled his book, 'Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Lives of Stars': it is well written, thorough and detailed, but not dense - a fine addition to a personal library - or any library.' SkyNews

In this well-illustrated text, Kenneth R. Lang explains the life cycle of stars, from the dense molecular clouds that are stellar nurseries to the enigmatic nebulae some stars leave behind in their violent ends. Free of mathematical equations and technical jargon, Lang's lively and accessible text provides physical insights into how stars such as our Sun are born, what fuels them and keeps them bright, how they evolve and the processes by which they eventually die. The book demonstrates the sheer scope and variety of stellar phenomena in the context of the universe as a whole. Boxed focus elements enhance and amplify the discussion for readers looking for more depth. Featuring more than 150 figures, including color plates, The Life and Death of Stars is a modern and up-to-date account of stars written for a broad audience, from armchair astronomers and popular science readers to students and teachers of science.

List of focus elements
List of tables
Preface
1. Light of the Sun
2. Gravity and motion
3. Atomic and sub-atomic particles
4. Transmutation of the elements
5. What makes the Sun shine?
6. The extended solar atmosphere
7. Comparisons of the Sun with other stars
8. The lives of stars
9. The material between stars
10. New stars arise from the darkness
11. Stellar end states
12. A larger, expanding universe
13. Birth, life, and death of the universe
Quotation references
Author index
Subject index.

Subject Areas: Theoretical & mathematical astronomy [PGC], Astronomy, space & time [PG], Mathematics & science [P]