This popular science book offers a history of nuclear astrophysics starting from the identification of the elements in the stars and traces how our present ideas emerged out of clashes of opinions, experimental developments and refining of concepts.

Stars have fascinated man from immemorial times. The apparently inexhaustible source of the energy of the stars had been a mystery ever since humans understood that the laws of physics forbid creation of energy from nothing. Over centuries, our ideas about the composition of the stars went through two revolutions. Several prominent scientists - including Kirchoff, Saha, Eddignton, Payne, Gamow,  Hoyle, Margaret and Geofrey Burbidge and many others - proposed seemingly opposing ideas about abundances and formation of elements in the Universe. The book narrates how the ancient ideas were replaced by modern concepts that led to the developments in nuclear astrophysics.

This book is meant for general readers and avoids complicated mathematics.

The author is Professor of Physics in the University of Calcutta and a former Regular Associate of the ICTP, Trieste. Dr. Gangopadhyay has published nearly ninety research papers in refereed international journals. His areas of specialization are nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics. In nuclear physics, he works in the field of experimental and theoretical nuclear structure. In astrophysics, his research includes studying the effects of  nuclear reactions and the Saha ionization equation in processes that power the stars and creates new elements. Recently, Dr. Gangopadhyay has co-authored a semi-popular book ‘Rhythm in the Sky’ in the series ‘Studies in Rhythm Engineering’ published by Springer Nature on periodic phenomena astronomy and cosmology. He is also Guest Co-editor of an issue of The European Physical Journal Special Topics on the theme ‘Nuclear Astrophysics: Recent Progress in Understanding Element Formation in the Universe’.