AllMovie

This documentary on the latest achievements in astronomy is one of a six part series that investigates celestial phenomena such as black holes, quasars, and the search for other life in the universe. This episode centers upon the life cycle of stars, which are born, live, and die according to their own patterns. Profiles of the astronomers making the inquiries are featured as well. Those included are Howard University's Benjamin Peery, Leo Blitz, of the University of Maryland, and Hans Bethe from Cornell. The birth process of stars is discussed by experts, and Bethe expounds on his Nobel Prize winning theory on the power source of stars. In Australia, Mike Dopita, Richard Manchester, and David Allen study the death of a star. The supernova, which was the closest to Earth to occur in four centuries, was visible in 1987.