The Birth of Star Clusters

All stars are born in groups. Accordingly, the origin of stellar groups is a central issue not only in star formation studies, but also in other fields of astrophysics, including cosmology. This volume summarizes modern research into this venerable question. Observers and theorists who are active in the field offer perspectives on how clusters arise not only in various regions of the Milky Way, but also in the distant galaxies that have been probed by the Hubble Space Telescope, among other instruments. The range of physical conditions varies widely, but the essential question remains the same. How do diffuse clouds of gas condense into the collections of luminous objects we call stars?