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

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

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

5. Laser focused on graphite Expanding carbon plasma beam

8. But do not worry too much– it will be in about 5,000,000,000 years

9. At Sussex David Walton (shown here with a model of C24 ) and coworkers had synthesised chain molecules with up to 32 carbon atoms

10. This part of our story starts out in space

11. Hot gas cloud –the famous Orion Nebulae At the centre is the Trapezium Cluster of very hot new stars

12. The star then exploded and blew our atoms out into space

13. Our Earth goes round the Sun The Sun is a Star – Our Star

14. Stars cluster together in Galaxies

15. 100,000,000,000 Stars = 1011 about 100 billion stars in a Galaxy 11 zeros

16. Galaxies are spread across the Universe

17. 100,000,000,000 Galaxies = 1011 In the Universe

18. 100 000 000 000 x 100 000 000 000 = 10 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 1022 stars in the Universe 22 zeros

19. So 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 1022 is

20. BIG a number

21. As well as stars we can see hot and cold clouds by looking along the galactic plane

22. The Milky Way from the side It is discus shaped

23. The Milky Way from above

24. BIG

25. This is a very

26. BIG

27. There are 10 dots here ………,

28. How many here? ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

29. 100 ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

30. How many here? ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

31. 1000 ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………, ………,

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

34. There are two strands in the story – one starts out in space…..

35. Stars cluster together in galaxies… and there are about 1011 stars in a galaxy

36. There are about 1011 galaxies in the Universe So about 1022 stars altogether

37. As well as stars the galaxies also contain massive clouds of gas and dust

38. There are also massive cold black clouds of gas and dust inside which – hidden from (optical) view - new stars form

39. Exploding star blowing gas and dust (red scattering) into space (Mike Jura, ucla)

40. 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

41. Using the Canadian telescope (1975-80) we detected long carbon chain molecules in the black interstellar clouds HCCCCCN HCCCCCCCN HCCCCCCCCN

42. HCCCCCN HCCCCCCCN HCCCCCCCCN with Oka Avery Broten McLeod (NRC Canada) and Alexander Kirby Walton (Sussex UK)

43. Exploding star blowing gas and dust the red scattering out into space Mike Jura, ucla

45. We can see stars and black clouds in space

46. H–CC–CC–CN H–CC–CC–CC–CN H–CC–CC–CC–CC–CN Molecular clouds in Taurus; indicates TMC1 where chains detected

47. NRC 46m Radiotelescope in Algonquin Park Ontario, Canada