Join the Fiske Planetarium Director, John Keller, for an immersive flight through our galaxy and solar system, coupled with a discussion of how stars and supernovae created all the elements needed for life out of a Universe that initially only contained hydrogen and helium gas. Soil on Earth began with elements forged in stars, providing raw ingredients, but true soil formation—involving organic matter and weather required the evolution of Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and life. Nearly all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were created within stars through nuclear fusion.

These elements were then dispersed throughout the cosmos when the stars exploded in supernovae. As the sun formed, a disk of gas and this "stardust" swirled around it. Gravity caused tiny dust particles, composed of elements such as silicon, oxygen, iron, and