This book is a practical guide to imaging and understanding the life-cycle of stars. As a keen amateur astronomer, with over 30 years experience imaging the night sky, Jeremy uses the story of stellar evolution as an effective platform to illustrate how amateur photographers can capture beautiful images of the night sky including glowing gases, dark dust, amazing multiple star systems, clusters of stars, stunning galaxies, ageing super-massive stars and the spectacular death of a star as a supernova. It tells the story of star birth, growth, ageing and death, giving a simple explanation of the complex physics of nuclear fusion that ultimately leads to the development of the elements required for life. Whilst not professing to be an academic textbook, the book is likely to appeal to those with a general interest in astronomy looking to grasp the basic concepts of stellar physics. There are over 70 full-colour images presented by the author, with details of equipment used, exposure details and an explanation of how the image was processed. In addition being an introduction to the technical aspects of astrophysics, it works as a coffee-table presentation of the wonders of the universe. The aim of the book is to encourage beginners to have a go at astrophotography, starting with basic photographic equipment and progressing through to more advanced and complex imaging techniques. Before introducing the story of the stars, the book explains why astrophotography can be a challenging but rewarding hobby, with a clear discussion of the methods used to overcome these inherent difficulties.

Appendix I is a heartfelt description of how the author progressed from being a young teenager with no experience, through to an accomplished astrophotographer producing stunning images. Detailed tutorials are provided in Appendices II & III for the novice and for those looking to progress to more advanced imaging, with step by step instructions of how to use freely available imaging software and tips on how to use commercially available packages like Photoshop and PixInsight. The author's main intent, to enthuse budding astrophotographers and help them along in their own journey, is clear in the presentation style and content. With a wide range of hints and tips and a great collection of showcase images, this book will appeal to a broad cross section of readers.