In fact all our atoms were formed in a star long ago

The star then blew up and blasted our atoms into space and after aeons they ended up

here

Expanding carbon plasma beam

Laser focused on graphite

But do not worry too much–

it will be in about 5,000,000,000 years

At Sussex David Walton (shown here with a model of C24 ) and coworkers had synthesised chain molecules with up to

32 carbon atoms

This part of our story

starts out in space

Hot gas cloud –the famous Orion

Nebulae

At the centre is the Trapezium Cluster of very hot new stars

The star then exploded and blew our atoms out into

space

Our Earth goes round the Sun

The Sun is a Star – Our Star

Stars cluster together in Galaxies

100,000,000,000 Stars = 1011

about 100 billion stars in a Galaxy

11 zeros

Galaxies are spread across the Universe

100,000,000,000 Galaxies = 1011

In the Universe

100 000 000 000 x 100 000 000 000

= 10 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

1022 stars in the Universe

22 zeros

So

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

1022

is

BIG number

a

As well as stars

we can see hot and cold clouds

by looking along the galactic plane

The Milky Way from the side

It is discus shaped

The Milky Way from above

BIG

This is a very

BIG

………,

There are 10 dots here

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

How many here?

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

100

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

How many here?

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

1000

We can make a tiny exploding star in a laboratory – How?

There are two strands in the story –

one starts out in space…..

Stars cluster together in galaxies…

and there are about 1011 stars in a galaxy

There are about 1011 galaxies in the Universe

So about 1022 stars altogether

As well as stars

the galaxies also contain

massive clouds of gas and dust

There are also massive cold black clouds of gas and dust inside which – hidden from

(optical) view - new stars form

Exploding star blowing gas and dust (red scattering) into space

(Mike Jura, ucla)

CO HC2O H2O

HCN NH3 CH3CH2OH

HCCCN

Many small molecules detected (1968-) in the dark clouds like these which lie in the Milky

Way galactic plane

Using the Canadian telescope (1975-80) we detected long carbon chain molecules

in the black interstellar clouds

HCCCCCN

HCCCCCCCN

HCCCCCCCCN

HCCCCCNHCCCCCCCN

HCCCCCCCCN

with Oka Avery Broten McLeod (NRC Canada) and Alexander Kirby Walton

(Sussex UK)

Exploding star blowing gas and dust the red scattering out into space

Mike Jura, ucla

We can see stars and black clouds in space

Molecular clouds in Taurus; indicates TMC1 where chains detected

H–CC–CC–CN

H–CC–CC–CC–CN

H–CC–CC–CC–CC–CN

NRC 46m Radiotelescope in Algonquin Park Ontario, Canada