Over the past 200 years, our knowledge of stars has expanded
enormously. From seeing myriad dots of different brightnesses, we
moved on to measure distances, temperatures, sizes, chemical
compositions, even ages, finding stars that dwarf our Sun and are
dwarfed by it, some in their youth, others ancient. First published
in 2001, Extreme Stars describes the lives of stars from a
fascinating perspective. It examines their amazing extremes and
results in an engaging overview of stellar evolution, suitable for
anyone interested in viewing or studying stars. Ten chapters,
generously illustrated throughout, explain the natures of the
brightest, the largest, the hottest, the youngest, and so on,
ending with a selection of the strangest stars the Universe has to
offer. Taken as a whole, the chapters show how stars develop and
die and how each extreme turns into another under the inexorable
twin forces of time and gravity.
· An interesting approach to explaining stellar evolution, both
understandable and engaging · Demonstrates, with words and
beautiful images, the amazing natures of stars at the limits of
their existence · Explains the grand progression of stellar forms
from one extreme to another
