Stardust

Sun Kwok is a leading world authority on the subject of astrochemistry and stellar evolution. He is best known for his theory on the origin of planetary nebulae and the death of Sun-like stars. His recent research has been on the topic of the synthesis of complex organic compounds in the late stages of stellar evolution. He is the author of a number of books, including Cosmic Butterflies : The Colorful Mysteries of Planetary Nebulae.

• 1. Where do we come from?.- 2. Rocks and dust in the planetary neighborhood.- 3. Impacts from beyond.- 4. Descendants of stars.- 5. Glowing in the dark.- 6. Star dust in our eyes.- 7. The oldest and brightest.- 8. Neon signs in the sky.- 9. Stars as molecular factories.- 10. Smoke from stellar chimneys.- 11. Gems from Heaven.- 12. Diamonds in the sky.- 13. A mysterious red glow.- 14. A celestial origin for oil?.- 15. Organics in our Solar System.- 16. Stardust in our hands.- 17. Bacteria in space?.- 18. Comets: messengers from the past.- 19. Where do oceans come from?.- 20. Playing God with primordial soup.- 21. Stardust and origin of life.- 22. Our place in the Universe.- 23. Bibliography.- 24. Appendix I. Scientific notation.- 25. Appendix II. Units of measurement.- 26. Appendix III Color and Temperature.- 27. Appendix IV: Naming convention of astronomical objects.- 28. Appendix V Elemental abundance.- 29. Appendix VI Mass and energy.- 30. Glossary.

From the reviews: Selected by Choice magazine as an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2014 "Stardust is a very readable, lucid description of the origins of life, from the standpoint of an astronomer. ... Six appendixes, a 10-page glossary, and a 20-page bibliography support the text. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates." (E. S. Perlman, Choice, Vol. 51 (5), January, 2014)