| List of Boxes | p. x |
| List of Figures | p. xi |
| List of Tables | p. xvii |
| Preface | p. xviii |
| History and development | p. 1 |
| Tycho's and Kepler's stars | p. 2 |
| The beginnings of modern astronomy | p. 3 |
| Systematic visual observations | p. 4 |
| The photographic revolution | p. 6 |
| Spectroscopy | p. 6 |
| Classification and explanation | p. 7 |
| Photoelectric photometry: the electronic revolution | p. 8 |
| Consolidation | p. 8 |
| The modern age | p. 9 |
| Variable stars: the present status | p. 12 |
| Stars | p. 14 |
| Positions | p. 14 |
| Binary and multiple stars | p. 15 |
| Star clusters | p. 17 |
| Galaxies | p. 18 |
| Motions of the stars | p. 21 |
| Apparent magnitude | p. 22 |
| Distance | p. 23 |
| Absolute magnitude and luminosity | p. 24 |
| Stellar masses | p. 25 |
| Spectra | p. 26 |
| Colour | p. 27 |
| Temperature | p. 28 |
| Diameter | p. 31 |
| Composition | p. 32 |
| Rotation | p. 33 |
| Radial velocity | p. 34 |
| The Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram | p. 36 |
| Star structure | p. 38 |
| Star formation | p. 39 |
| Star evolution | p. 43 |
| Star death | p. 45 |
| Variable stars | p. 48 |
| Magnitude and Julian Date | p. 49 |
| Measurement of variable stars | p. 50 |
| Discovery and observation | p. 55 |
| Analysis of variable star data | p. 61 |
| Classification | p. 71 |
| Certification | p. 74 |
| Nomenclature | p. 74 |
| Bibliography | p. 76 |
| Rotating variable stars | p. 81 |
| The spotted sun | p. 82 |
| Sunlike stars | p. 84 |
| FK Comae stars | p. 88 |
| RS Canum Venaticorum stars | p. 88 |
| BY Draconis stars | p. 91 |
| Peculiar A (Ap) stars | p. 92 |
| Pulsars | p. 96 |
| Eclipsing variable stars | p. 103 |
| Overview | p. 103 |
| Ellipsoidal variable stars | p. 106 |
| Classification of eclipsing variables | p. 107 |
| Analysis of eclipsing variables | p. 111 |
| Detached eclipsing variables | p. 118 |
| Semi-detached binaries | p. 121 |
| W Ursae Majoris stars - contact binaries | p. 122 |
| Symbiotic binary systems | p. 124 |
| VV Cephei stars | p. 126 |
| X-ray binaries | p. 128 |
| The evolution of binary systems | p. 132 |
| Transiting exoplanets | p. 133 |
| Pulsating variable stars | p. 136 |
| Pulsation modes | p. 136 |
| Pulsation mechanisms | p. 138 |
| Modelling stellar pulsation | p. 139 |
| Non-linear effects | p. 140 |
| The instability strip(s) | p. 141 |
| Helioseismology: pulsations of the sun | p. 145 |
| Asteroseismology | p. 145 |
| Classical Cepheid variable stars | p. 147 |
| Population II Cepheids (W Virginis stars) | p. 161 |
| RV Tauri variables | p. 167 |
| RR Lyrae stars | p. 173 |
| Delta Scuti stars | p. 182 |
| Rapidly oscillating peculiar A (roAp) stars | p. 190 |
| Pulsating degenerate stars | p. 192 |
| Beta Cephei (Beta Canis Majoris) stars | p. 195 |
| Pulsating red giants (PRGs) | p. 203 |
| Red supergiant (SRc) variables | p. 217 |
| Eruptive variable stars | p. 224 |
| Flare stars | p. 224 |
| Cataclysmic variables | p. 228 |
| Supernovae | p. 255 |
| Gamma-ray bursters | p. 270 |
| Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) | p. 272 |
| Pre-main-sequence variable stars | p. 278 |
| T Tauri stars | p. 279 |
| FU Orionis stars | p. 289 |
| Herbig-Haro objects | p. 291 |
| Herbig Ae and Be stars | p. 291 |
| Putting it all together | p. 292 |
| Miscellaneous variable stars | p. 296 |
| Be stars - Gamma Cassiopeiae variables | p. 296 |
| Wolf-Rayet stars | p. 301 |
| Hypergiant variable stars | p. 304 |
| R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars | p. 312 |
| Epilogue | p. 319 |
| Variable stars and astronomical research | p. 319 |
| Variable stars and amateur astronomy | p. 320 |
| Variable stars and science education | p. 324 |
| Variable stars and the general public | p. 327 |
| Acronyms | p. 330 |
| References | p. 332 |
| Resources | p. 342 |
| Index | p. 344 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
