You are holding in your hands, dear Reader, your passport to an exciting cosmic adventure - exploring the universe of double and multiple stars! These are the sky's tinted jewels and waltzing couples, and they are waiting patiently in the darkness of night to dazzle and delight you. This is actually two books in one. The ?rst part surveys the current state of knowledge about double stars - how they are born, evolve and interact, their signi?cance in the cosmic scheme of things,and the valuable insights they provide into such fundamental matters as stellar masses and the ultimate fate of stars.The more we know about these fascinating objects, the more enjoyment we will ul- mately derive from actually viewing them ?rsthand with binoculars and telescopes from our gardens or backyards or ?elds.As Charles Edward Barns stated in his long out-of-print classic 1001 Celestial Wonders, Let me learn all that is known of them, Love them for the joy of loving. For,as a traveler in far countries Brings back only what he takes, So shall the scope of my foreknowledge Measure the depth of their pro?t and charm to me.
