Secret Lives of Stars: Scientific American Special Edition

We track these cosmic phenomena through their births, lives, and fiery deaths. The first article tells us about the appearance of the very first stars in the universe. Then, we will learn about the early days in the life of a star, as we track it's progression from dust to giant flaming ball of gas. Also, contrary to conventional wisdom, scientists have discovered that stars can, and often do, collide with each other. We will also hear about solar storms, shock waves from the sun that can endanger Earth?s satellites and astronauts. Then, some stars are magnetized so intensely, that they alter the very nature of the quantum vacuum. Finally, we learn about the brightest explosions in the universe and black holes.