"The origin and evolution of life are connected in the most intimate way with the origin and evolution of the stars." -Carl Sagan
When it comes to dying stars, supernovae get all the press. They may be the largest and most massive stars to die, but hundreds of times more common are the planetary nebulae of the Universe, formed by dying Sun-like stars. These astronomical wonders blow off their outer layers not just hydrogen but also heavier elements to return them to the interstellar medium.
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"At the last dim horizon, we search among ghostly errors of observations for landmarks that are scarcely more substantial. The search will continue. The urge is older than history. It is not satisfied and it will not be oppressed." -Edwin Hubble