This book explores the mechanics of star formation, the process by which matter pulls together and creates new structures. Written for science enthusiasts, the author presents an accessible explanation of how stars are born from the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds. Stars produce the chemicals that lead to life, and it is they that have enabled the conditions for planets to form and life to emerge.

Although the Big Bang provided the spark of initiation, the primordial universe that it sired was born hopelessly sterile. It is only through the continued recycling of the interstellar medium, star formation, and stellar evolution that the universe has been animated beyond a chaotic mess of elementary atomic particles, radiation, dark matter, dark energy, and expanding spacetime. Using the Milky Way and the Eagle Nebula in particular as case studies, Beech follows every step of this amazing process.

Explains each step of how stars are formed within molecular clouds in the interstellar medium Illuminates the key role of molecular clouds in the existence of life on Earth Covers the full sweep of the Universe's evolution, from the Big Bang to the later production of organic chemicals in stars Uses non-technical language suitable for non-scientists

Autorentext
Martin Beech is a Professor and Department Head of Astronomy at Campion College, The University of Regina, Canada. He has an MSc from Sussex, UK, and earned his PhD at Western Ontario. He has written several books for Springer, most recently "Alpha Centauri: Unveiling the Secrets of Our Nearest Stellar Neighbor" (2015).

Inhalt
Preface.- Chapter 1- Reading the Sky.- Chapter 2 - In the Eye of the Beholder.- Chapter 3: The Dark Clouds Revealed.- Chapter 4 The Hyperfine Split and Atomic Jitters.- Chapter 5 In the Grip of Gravity.- Chapter 6 - It's a Far Flung Life.- Appendix - Notes and References.- Index.