ABSTRACT
Stellar Evolution presents the theory of the evolution of stars on an under graduate college level, and can be used as a textbook in the subject.
Historically, interest in celestial objects has followed two parallel courses. In one, people gazed at and were impressed by regular celestial events, and the occurrence now and then of spectacular events. In the other, people attempted to understand the overall picture of the stellar world and the laws governing its evolution. They tried within this framework to establish a holistic and internally consistent theory that might explain all the observed phenomena. The kind of thinking involved in the first course yielded many useful and efficient tools. Determining and monitoring the calendar and using celestial objects for purposes of navigation are just a couple of the important applications. The thinking involved in the second course is part of the common effort of humanity to understand the world in which we live, and to construct a general world picture of reality. The fact that celestial objects are in practical terms “beyond the reach of human hands” establishes a special place for them in the picture of nature. Prom the time of the ancient civilizations until today, the theory of celestial objects has played a principal role in constructing a general world view.
