Perhaps the most elegant view in astrophysics today is that all the elements of our existence (earth, water, air, fire and plasma) originate in the stars.

It’s one of my favorite notions, in fact, I even attribute my own consciousness to the infinite stars in the sky.

And I wonder in my logical mind, how could this actually be?

All stars begin their lives fusing hydrogen into helium, a process that creates their light, and the longest phase of their lives.

Once a star runs out of hydrogen at its core, it contracts and temperatures rise high enough for helium to fuse into carbon.

In stars with enough mass (at least eight times the size of our sun) heavier elements are created, like neon, oxygen and silicon.

Over time, the star creates iron, deep within its core, which can lead to the star’s collapse and a super nova explosion that scatters their core enrichment throughout the universe.

In this way, the next generation of stars and planets are born, by way of these key ingredients scattered throughout the heavens. 

And in turn, the planets receive the stuff to create life upon themselves. 

Perhaps we truly are stardust. 

Indeed, it’s a lovely notion.