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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 August 2015
Stellar evolution is characterized by fast and slow phases. Usually the periods of rapid change are difficult to follow observationally; but, this does not seem to be the case when passing through the planetary nebula stage. Because of their high intrinsic luminosities and easy identification, it is possible to identify and study these objects and their central stars rather completely. It is quite relevant to discuss these objects at a symposium on white dwarfs since the central stars may be in the immediate progenitor stage before white dwarfs. The actual picture of the evolution of the nuclei has changed rather little in the past few years and is the subject of an earlier review article (O'Dell, 1968) to which the reader is referred.