Some 5 billion years ago, our Sun turned on. It had a violent youth, but now it's settled down into middle age.
http://suhep.phy.syr.edu/courses/PHY106.97Spring/Termprojects/Projects/Stars/
The Life Cycle of Stars: has good background on stars from their beginning
as a cloud of gas until their light is extinguished.
http://www.skypub.com/sights/northern/northern.html
"Sky and Telescope" has monthly star maps for the northern and southern
hemispheres.