Astrophysics | Stars, Stardust and Us

When we look up at the clear night sky, we are treated to a view of numerous bright stars. Indeed stars are the dominant source of all visible light in the universe. From one day to the next, and even over centuries, we see the same stars, practically immutable and unvarying in brightness. But the stars do have a life cycle. Over many millions of years, stars take birth, live their luminous life and then die. And from the debris of dying stars, a new generation of stars are born. This fascinating stellar lifecycle is intimately connected with, and greatly impacts the evolution of the universe as a whole. These processes are also responsible for generating almost all the elements we see around us, and the origin of life itself. This course will cover the story of stellar life cycle and its impact, in a series of lectures and hands-on project activities aimed at the school level. The intended learning outcome is an appreciation of this important process that is the backbone of Astrophysics and is also deeply connected to our origins.