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It is believed that shortly after the Big Bang the early universe was composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, with no heavy elements. Today, Earth and its inhabitants contain an abundance of heavier metals. The study of stellar nucleosynthesis strongly suggests these heavier nuclei were generated in the interiors of stars. It can be said that we are all "star dust," the product of heavy element generation within previous generations of stars.
— An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics
(book)
by Bradley W. Carroll
(see stats)
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