An Introduction to Stellar Evolution

Thanks to a new generation of telescopes, the never-ending story of Stellar Evolution is told in spectacular detail. Telescopic ultrasound -- a camera sensitive to infrared light -- monitors prenatal suns incubating inside clouds of hydrogen gas and newborn protostars emitting ultraviolet energy. What happens to stars after they die? From supernova explosions to black holes, the demise of stars eventually leads to new suns, new planets and possibly new life.