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 ...Hubble E-booksHubble Focus: The Lives of StarsHubble HomeOverviewAbout HubbleThe History of HubbleHubble TimelineWhy Have a Telescope in Space?At the MuseumHubble by the NumbersFAQsImpact & BenefitsHubble's Impact & BenefitsScience ImpactsCultural ImpactTechnology BenefitsImpact on Human SpaceflightAstro Community ImpactsScienceHubble ScienceScience ThemesScience HighlightsScience Behind DiscoveriesUniverse UncoveredExplore the Night SkyObservatoryHubble ObservatoryHubble DesignMission OperationsMissions to HubbleHubble vs WebbTeamHubble TeamCareer AspirationsHubble AstronautsNewsHubble NewsHubble News ArchiveSocial MediaMedia ResourcesMultimediaMultimediaImagesVideosSonificationsPodcastsE-booksLithographsFact SheetsOnline ActivitiesExplore This SectionHubble HomeOverviewImpact & BenefitsScienceObservatoryTeamNewsMultimediaHubble Focus: The Lives of StarsThis e-book is part of a series called Hubble Focus, which presents some of Hubble's recent cosmic discoveries. Its cover, shown here, features the star cluster Pismis 24. The cluster lies within a much larger nebula called NGC 6357, which is located about 8,000 light-years from Earth.NASA*Hubble Focus: The Lives of Stars* highlights the Hubble Space Telescope's recent discoveries and observations related to the birth, evolution, and death of stars.“Hubble has scoured the skies for more than 30 years, revealing untold celestial wonders,” said Jennifer Wiseman, Hubble's senior project scientist. “In this e-book, readers are transported across space and time to take a closer look at the stunning and chaotic processes stars undergo.”Like brilliant diamonds against the inky void of space, each twinkling star is a radiant cosmic wonder. Many stars grace the galaxy for billions and billions of years, leading tame and rather uneventful lives. Hubble has even spotted some that are nearly as old as the universe itself, providing a window to the distant past.The mission has pinpointed new stars that more recently burst to life from swirling clouds of gas and dust peppered throughout the galaxy. And it has shown that some of these nascent stars are ringed with dusty debris, from which planets may form.Stars live such long lives compared to human lives that it seems they exist outside of time, immune to the effects of aging. But stars aren’t forever; just as new ones are bursting into life on a regular basis, some run out of fuel every day. Hubble has documented the death throes of stars to help us better understand the role they play in cosmic evolution.Whether a small star sloughs off its outer layers gently or a massive star blasts material out in a supernova, the deaths of stars seed the universe with new elements. The ejected material may be recycled into later generations of stars, planets, and perhaps living things.“When we look at the stars sprinkled throughout the universe, we see a wide range of phenomena,” said Ken Carpenter, Hubble’s operations project scientist. “Studying them continues to help us understand the universe and our place within it.”Hubble has spotted countless stars roaming the galaxy alone or in pairs, but sometimes huge groups of stars are born in a giant litter of dozens to a million stars held together by gravity. By studying these star clusters, Hubble offers us new insight into stellar and even galactic evolution.One such discovery revealed that stars huddled near the center of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, may not have originated here. Instead, our galaxy may have cannibalized smaller galaxies that passed too close to escape the Milky Way’s gravitational grip.Hubble also used star clusters to weigh our galaxy to determine how much mass is locked up in dark matter. But stars in clusters aren’t the only ones that can offer cosmic clues.WR 124The star WR 124 lights up a brilliant, tangerine-colored nebula in this Hubble image. WR 124 is ejecting gas outward at speeds over 90,000 miles per hour into the surrounding nebula.ESA/Hubble & NASA; Acknowledgment: Judy Schmidt (geckzilla.com)Through its exploration of stars, Hubble has traced many aspects of the evolution of the universe, revealing clues to its past and present, while Hubble’s future observations may offer hints to its ultimate fate.“Hubble will continue to help us learn more about the universe for years to come,” Wiseman said. “Understanding the dynamics of stars is key to unraveling many cosmic mysteries.”*Please note: Earlier versions of these files have been replaced to correct an error in the caption for NGC 4833.*****Since the time of publication, some e-reader platforms have changed their file specifications, limiting file size, image, and video capabilities. If you have problems with the EPUB version, we suggest trying the more widely compatible PDF version.****DownloadsKindle readers(37.14 MB)EPUB format(53.21 MB)PDF format(11.61 MB)More Hubble Activities and LinksAstronaut on an EVA in a white space suit waving while working on the Hubble space telescope.Calling Future ExplorersStart with a 360-degree video and discover the unique paths that led people to careers with the Hubble Space Telescope.Hubble Nebula - Crab NebulaExplore the Night SkyUsing our Skymap, find astronomical objects with a backyard telescope, or binoculars, then compare your view to Hubble's images of the object.Ring NebulaHubble AlbumsFlip through Hubble's Flickr albums and see astronauts at work in space,  behind the scenes of mission operations, and images from nebulae to gravitational lens.Upper left: "Hubble Focus" opening of the telescope is the "O" Center: bright-white star, Center Bottom: Orange-red planet with cloud bands, Center: small, bright-white star and very small red-orange dwarf starHubble E-booksInvestigate the mysteries of the universe, or dive into Hubble's history with our free, downloadable e-books.Curious Universe LogoHubble PodcastsHear about Hubble's mission,  discoveries, and images.Scientist sits and points to a screen with a Hubble image while he discusses the science.Hubble VideosFrom science to history, from servicing mission to technology, and from documentaries to human interest stories, NASA had produced a library of informative and interesting videos on the Hubble Space Telescope.
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