Includes bibliographical references and index.

Tarantula nebula -- Crab nebula -- Mysterious pulsing star -- Biggest known star -- Most earthlike extrasolar planet -- Biggest known galaxy -- Sculptor supercluster.

"In this book, we'll explore seven wonders beyond the solar system. We'll look at giant clouds of gas and dust called nebulae. Some nebulae are places where stars are born. Other nebulae are all that remains of stars that have died. Other wonders beyond the solar system include pulsing stars, giant stars, and giant clusters of stars called galaxies. We'll visit them all. And we'll explore the age-old question: Does the universe have any other planets like Earth?"--Amazon.com.