太古から人々を魅了してやまない星。星はどのようにして生まれ、どのように生き、光り輝き、そして消滅していくのでしょうか。著名な天体物理学者アンドリュー・キングが、銀河系についての理解を促し、重力や熱圧力、磁場、エネルギー発生の影響力なども検討しながら、星の科学を解き明かします。(cf. Galaxies, #192; Planetary Systems, #693)
   

• An authoritative and accessible exploration of the science of stars
• Examines the processes that allow stars to form, to shine, to maintain their size, and looks at their various forms of death
• Looks at the impact of gravity, thermal pressure, magnetic fields, and radiation on stars
• Considers our own star, the Sun, as well as neutron stars and black holes

 
Every atom of our bodies has been part of a star. Our very own star, the Sun, is crucial to the development and sustainability of life on Earth. This Very Short Introduction presents a modern, authoritative examination of how stars live, producing all the chemical elements beyond helium, and how they die, sometimes spectacularly, to end as remnants such as black holes.

Andrew King shows how understanding the stars is key to understanding the galaxies they inhabit, and thus the history of our entire Universe, as well as the existence of planets like our own. King presents a fascinating exploration of the science of stars, from the mechanisms that allow stars to form and the processes that allow them to shine, as well as the results of their inevitable death.