Unraveling the Cosmic Connection: Exploring the 'Star Stuff' within Us

In a new video from the European Southern Observatory, astrophysicist Suzanna Randall explains how the elements that make up our bodies were formed in the universe. Shortly after the Big Bang, the universe was mainly composed of hydrogen and helium. The first generation of stars fused hydrogen in their cores to create helium, and when these stars died, they released heavier elements like carbon and oxygen. Supernova explosions flung these elements into the cosmos, where they eventually integrated into nebulas and formed the next generation of stars, including our sun. The planets, including Earth, formed from a disk of material around the sun, and it is from this disk that the elements that make up our bodies are derived. In essence, we are made of "star stuff."