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FROM THE EDITOR
As astronomy enthusiasts, we’re most often focused on astronomy, astro-
physics, planetary science, or cosmology. But I’d like you to stop for a
moment and think about chemistry.
Consider the very stuff you’re made from, for example. The average human has
7 octillion atoms in their body. That’s 10 to the 27th power. Put another way, it’s
7 billion billion billion atoms. Suffice to say, it’s a lot. These very same atoms were
created in the early stages of the universe or in the bellies of exploding stars long
ago. As the great astronomer Carl Sagan said, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the
calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made
in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”
R ig ht now, you have at lea st t races of 6 0 chem ic a l element s w it h i n you. O x ygen
is the most abundant by mass; carbon follows second, and then hydrogen and
nitrogen. But you also have so-called heavier elements such as calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. And yes, you even have
naturally occurring radioactive elements within you — again, all part of nature.
The elements, of course, are the basic atomic building
blocks of the cosmos, from which all normal matter is com-
posed. Consider, just for a moment, our discovery and
understanding of them. Organized by their properties in the
periodic table, the 118 known elements display a wide range
of characteristics. Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev cre-
ated the first detailed periodic table in 1869 to understand
and organize the elements based on those characteristics.
So where did the elements that make up our stars, our
planets, and even us, come from? The creation of the first atomic nuclei took place
immediately after the Big Bang itself, the origin of the universe some 13.8 billion
ye a rs a go. T hat proc e s s , c a l led Big Ba ng nucle os y nt he si s , re su lted i n most ly hyd ro-
gen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements like lithium and hydrogen’s
heavy cousin, deuterium.
These are incredible facts to ponder as you walk out under a starry sky on a clear,
moonless night. Look deep toward the shimmering glow of the Milky Way, and
you’ll see many twinkling stars and the unresolved light from millions more that
make up the hazy band running across our sky. That oldest of all human questions
— “Why am I here?” — actually has an answer. You’re here because atoms created
in the Big Bang and in the bellies of stars have recombined in a way to make you,It’s elemental
Editor David J. Eicher
Art Director LuAnn Williams Belter
EDITORIAL
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Reynolds, Sheldon Reynolds, Erika Rix, Raymond Shubinski
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parents as well.
Something to think about under a starry sky.
I also want to introduce you to a new staff member, Editorial
Assistant Hailey McLaughlin. Hailey joins us fresh from her gradu-
ation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with degrees in
creative writing and journalism. She hails from a small community
in central Wisconsin and got her start in astro interests when she
wanted to become an astronaut at age 3. During her time at the
university, she was the editor-in-chief of her school newspaper and
found a love of editing. Please help me welcome Hailey.Yo u r s t r u l y,
David J. Eicher
Follow the
Dave’s Universe blog:
http://www.Astronomy.
com/davesuniverse
Follow Dave Eicher
on Twitter:
@deicherstar“Why
am I here?”
actually has
an answer.