Author Description

"There are as many different kinds of stars as there are stars in the night sky. Each is an individual, every one unique. In this illustrated volume, noted astronomer James B. Kaler selects 100 stars to illustrate the mind-boggling variety of the stars' shapes, sizes, and ages, and the vast range of configurations in which they exist.". "From ACRUX to ZZ CETI, each entry in this book describes a star's location, its class, its apparent brightness as viewed from Earth, its distance from our Sun, its luminosity, and what makes it so special. Then the real story begins. In choosing his favorites, Kaler gives not only a representative sample of the extraordinarily diverse stellar population, but captures its complexity and the amazing view it provides into the violent, dynamic, and beautiful physical forces at play in the Universe."--BOOK JACKET.