The Role of Strangeness in Astrophysics - an Odyssey through Strange Phases

The equation of state for compact stars is reviewed with special emphasis on the role of strange hadrons, strange dibaryons and strange quark matter. Implications for the properties of compact stars are presented. The importance of neutron star data to constrain the properties of hypothetic particles and the possible existence of exotic phases in dense matter is outlined. We also discuss the growing interplay between astrophysics and heavy-ion physics.