This book contains the best and most up-to-date contributions in the field of late stage stellar evolution, as presented at the APNVII conference in Hong Kong in December 2017. A total of 60 scientists from 20 countries gathered to present, listen, interact and discuss the most current issues and problems in planetary nebulae and related objects research. The emphasis of this influential series of meetings, which was the seventh occasion over the last 20 years, has always been on the hypothesized and observed physical shaping mechanisms of the ejected nebulae that have such wonderful and intriguing forms. This special Galaxies conference issue of fully refereed contributions brings together a representative compilation of the meeting presentations in paper form. It captures the current “snap shot” status of this research field in some real sense. Such proceedings are well received and can be used as a reference material by both participants and all others working in the field for years to come.

This proceedings volume discusses the latest thinking behind the physical processes that cause planetary nebulae to acquire a non spherical structure, with emphasis on the role of binarity in the creation of axisymmetrial structures. It brought together over 100 researchers & will be a useful reference volume for researchers in astronomy & astrophysics.

In this book we will look at what planetary nebulae are, where they come from and where they go. We will discuss what mechanisms cause these beautiful markers of stellar demise as well as what causes them to form their variety of shapes. How we measure various aspects of planetary nebulae such as what they are made of will also be explored. Though we will give some aspects of planetary nebulae mathematical treatment, the main points should be accessible to people with only a limited background in mathematics. A short glossary of some of the more arcane astronomical terms is at the end of the book to help in understanding. Included at the end of each chapter is an extensive bibliography to the peer reviewed research on these objects and I would encourage the reader interested in an even deeper understanding to read these articles.

This book is for amateur astronomers who want to go beyond the Messier objects, concentrating on one of the most beautiful classes of astronomical object. It describes over 100 nebulae personally observed by the author using telescopes of various sizes.

This book contains the best and most up-to-date contributions in the field of late stage stellar evolution, as presented at the APNVII conference in Hong Kong in December 2017. A total of 60 scientists from 20 countries gathered to present, listen, interact and discuss the most current issues and problems in planetary nebulae and related objects research. The emphasis of this influential series of meetings, which was the seventh occasion over the last 20 years, has always been on the hypothesized and observed physical shaping mechanisms of the ejected nebulae that have such wonderful and intriguing forms. This special Galaxies conference issue of fully refereed contributions brings together a representative compilation of the meeting presentations in paper form. It captures the current "snap shot" status of this research field in some real sense. Such proceedings are well received and can be used as a reference material by both participants and all others working in the field for years to come.

Planetary nebulae represent the brief transition between Asymptotic Giant Branch stars and White Dwarfs. As multi-wavelength laboratories they have played a key role in developing our understanding of atomic, molecular, dust and plasma processes in astrophysical environments. The means by which their wonderfully diverse morphologies are obtained is currently the subject of intense research, including hydrodynamical shaping mechanisms and the role of binarity, stellar magnetic fields and rotation. Their contribution to the chemical enrichment of galaxies is another very active research area, as is the ever growing use of their narrow high luminosity emission lines to probe the dynamics and mass distributions of galaxies and the intergalactic media of clusters of galaxies. IAU S234 summarises the current status of research on the properties and processes of planetary nebulae, as reported in reviews and papers by leading experts working in the field.

The nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) publishes the Conference Series Proceedings as part of its century-old mission to provide resources for astronomers and advance the science of astronomy. Since 1988, the ASP has published the proceedings of astronomical workshops, meetings, colloquia, and symposia to meet the community's demand for affordable, high-quality volumes on current topics in the rapidly expanding fields of astronomy and astrophysics. Since 1998, the Society has also served as publisher for the International Astronomical Union (IAU), adding their Symposia, Highlights, and Transactions to our growing list of publications.For most rapid delivery of each volume, we encourage libraries and astronomy departments to place a Standing Order for the ASP Conference Series and/or the IAU Publications. Standing Orders are shipped directly from the printer and customers receive volumes at the same discounted rates as ASP members (approximately 25-35 ASP volumes each year and/or 5 IAU Symposia). Please refer to the order form to take advantage of this time-saving offer.We encourage all professionals who are sponsoring conferences, workshops, or colloquia to inquire about publishing these proceedings with the ASP. We provide quality volumes at less than half the price of comparable titles from other major publishers, ensuring that the publication will be available to a wider audience of budget-conscious scientists.From a meeting held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 3-6 August 1999.

Planetary nebulae are the classic subject of astrophysics. The physical pro cesses occurring in this highly ionized gaseous medium, the formation of emis sion lines in clearly specified conditions, the continuous emission extending from the far ultraviolet up to infrared and radio frequencies, the generation of exotic forms of radiation predicted by atomic physics, along with methods for deciphering the observed spectra and detecting physical and kinematic parameters of the radiating medium, etc. - all these problems form the solid foundations of the physical theory of gaseous nebulae. They are an essential part of the arsenal of powerful tools and concepts without which one cannot imagine understanding and interpreting the enormous diversity of processes taking place in the Universe - in gaseous envelopes surrounding the stars of various classes, from cool dwarfs and flare stars up to hot supergiants, as well as in stellar chromospheres and coronae, in atmospheres of unstable and anomalous stars, in circumstellar clouds and gaseous shells born in nova and supernova explosions, in diffuse nebulae and the interstellar medium, in interacting binary systems, in galaxies with emission lines, in quasars, etc. The last thirty years have seen a turning-point in our knowledge concern ing the very nature of planetary nebulae (PNs). The radio emission of PNs was discovered after it was predicted theoretically. On the other hand, the powerful infrared emission discovered both in the continuum and in emission lines was never expected.

Planetary nebulae present a fascinating range of shapes and morphologies. They are ideal laboratories for the study of different astrophysical processes: atomic physics, radiative transfer, stellar winds, shocks, wind-wind interaction, and the interaction between stellar winds and the interstellar medium. In addition, planetary nebulae provide information about the late stages of stellar evolution. In the last five years studies of planetary nebulae have progressed very rapidly and new phenomena and insights have been gained. This is partly due to new observations (e.g. from the Hubble Space Telescope, the ISO satellite and new infrared and millimeter spectrographs) and partly to the advancement of hydrodynamic simulations of the structures of planetary nebulae (PN). Many of these new results were reported at IAU Symposium 180 in Groningen, the Netherlands, on August 26 to 30, 1996. This symposium was dedicated to one of the pioneers of PN research: Stuart Pottasch. These proceedings contain chapters on: Introduction to PN with the basic parameters Distances of PN The central stars of PN The envelopes of PN The evolution from AGB to PN The evolution from PN to white dwarfs PN in the galactic context PN in extragalactic systems The future of PN research . The book contains 29 reviews and more than 200 shorter contributions.