Reprint. Originally published: 1987.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1. Stellar taxonomy -- Spectral classification -- Spectral classification systems -- Photometric classification -- Photometric systems -- Comparison of classification methods -- Part. 2 Introduction -- O-type stars -- B-type stars -- A-type stars -- F-type stars -- G-type stars -- K-type stars -- M-type stars -- Degenerates -- Further developments.

The classification of the stars into their various types is one of the fundamental areas of astronomy. This book is a comprehensive handbook on the tools, methods, and results of stellar taxonomy. The first six chapters describe modern methods of photometric and spectroscopic classification. The remaining nine chapters describe particular families of stars, progressing from the hottest to the coolest.Throughout, the emphasis is on the phenomenology of classification rather than the underlying astrophysics.