Abstract
The formation of stars and planets was until recently shrouded in dust, both literally and metaphorically. The basic underlying principle had been understood for over two centuries, having been proposed by the French mathematician Pierre Simon-Laplace and the Dutch philosopher Emmanuel Kant. The proposition was that stars were born from clouds of gas and dust, called nebulae. These beautiful sculptures dot our galaxy and the majority of others. However, such material is opaque to visible radiation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stevenson, D.S. (2013). The Formation of Stars and Planets. In: Under a Crimson Sun. Astronomers' Universe. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8133-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8133-1_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-8132-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8133-1
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)