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The Pillars of Creation

Giant Molecular Clouds, Star Formation, and Cosmic Recycling

  • Book
  • © 2017

Overview

Authors:
  1. Martin Beech

    1. Campion College, At The University of Regina, Regina, Canada

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  • 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

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books (PRAXIS)

Part of the book sub series: Popular Astronomy (POPULAR)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
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  2. Reading the Sky

    • Martin Beech
    Pages 1-46

  3. In the Eye of the Beholder

    • Martin Beech
    Pages 47-88

  4. The Dark Clouds Revealed

    • Martin Beech
    Pages 89-120

  5. The Hyperfine Split and Atomic Jitters

    • Martin Beech
    Pages 121-178

  6. In the Grip of Gravity

    • Martin Beech
    Pages 179-233

  7. It’s a Far Flung Life

    • Martin Beech
    Pages 235-256

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 257-269
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Keywords

About this book

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.

Reviews

“The Pillars of Creation is an excellent mix of the history of astronomy and physics together with modern astronomy and chemistry without too many difficult terms or equations … . Reading this book was an enjoyable experience, as various angles on the same topic or same astronomical object were presented … . All in all though, it's an excellent account of how molecular clouds form, how stars are born and how they end their lives … .” (AstroMadness.com, October 30, 2019)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Campion College, At The University of Regina, Regina, Canada

    Martin Beech

About the author

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).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Pillars of Creation

  • Book Subtitle: Giant Molecular Clouds, Star Formation, and Cosmic Recycling

  • Authors: Martin Beech

  • Series Title: Springer Praxis Books

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48775-5

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG 2017

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-48774-8Published: 06 January 2017

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-48775-5Published: 28 December 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 269

  • Number of Illustrations: 16 b/w illustrations, 109 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Popular Science in Astronomy, Cosmology, Organic Chemistry, Astrobiology

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