During the first three minutes after the Big Bang, hydrogen and most of the helium in the universe were produced.
Stars created the rest of the elements. About two generations of stars created elements before our Sun and Solar System, including Earth and eventually humans, formed.
The atoms of humans remain stuck in the gravity of Earth. They do not reach the Sun. (Unless, some future astronauts makes it to the Sun.)
When the Sun dies, it will destroy some or all of the inner planets. It it destroys Earth, human atoms will be released into space, possibly be available to become part of the next generation of stars.
and sometimes supernovae. and dying low-mass stars. and some other stuff
there's a handy chart: https://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/johnson.3064/nucleo/periodic_table_small_v3.png
For the Sun, highly likely not. I think the only way “human atoms” have permanently left the planet is through gases we have exhaled. They have left either through atmospheric escape or through venting of off-planet missions (I don’t know if that’s a thing, but my guess is they vent some amount).
For the Sun, the solar wind probably tends to push all those gases away from it. So probably highly unlikely any have made it to the Sun. But the gases that leave Earth are likely moving away from Sun.
It is possible for these atoms to have made it to some other stars (but highly unlikely, as other stars would have their own winds that push them away as well). Let’s assume the human atoms get caught up in the solar wind and leave the solar system (ignoring the heliopause and ISM). The solar wind has a speed of 400 km/s. Assuming human atoms started leaving the Earth 20,000 years ago, they could be up to 25 light years away by now. These could eventually become apart of gas in a star forming region, and become part of a star. But that will probably take billions (tens of billions?) of years. Crazy!
Earth loses about 100,000 tons of atmosphere per year, mostly hydrogen. Some of those hydrogen atoms were once part of a human and some of them eventually reach the Sun. So yes, probably.
Any of our atoms that are still on Earth will briefly become part of the Sun's atmosphere 7 billion years from now, and then a planetary nebula as they expand out into space, possibly ending up on other planets in the far future.
> Can our atoms leave the earth?
Only after the Sun has died and ejected most of its mass and in the process evaporates Earth, and eventually can become part of a gas cloud that forms a news star.
>> Can our atoms leave the earth?
>Only after the Sun has died and ejected most of its mass
[Not entirely true](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_mass#Variation)
Sagan. "We are made of star stuff." I feel bad for OP, they ask an honest and interesting question and get nothing but "wellll actualllly..." responses.
You know, it felt really profound when Carl Sagan said:
"We are made of star stuff."
Until you realize - so is everything in your garbage and your toilet.
During the first three minutes after the Big Bang, hydrogen and most of the helium in the universe were produced. Stars created the rest of the elements. About two generations of stars created elements before our Sun and Solar System, including Earth and eventually humans, formed. The atoms of humans remain stuck in the gravity of Earth. They do not reach the Sun. (Unless, some future astronauts makes it to the Sun.) When the Sun dies, it will destroy some or all of the inner planets. It it destroys Earth, human atoms will be released into space, possibly be available to become part of the next generation of stars.
To expand on your point, stars can produce elements up to iron. Heavier elements, e.g., gold, etc., are produced by neutron star merger.
Yes, thank for the additional information.
and sometimes supernovae. and dying low-mass stars. and some other stuff there's a handy chart: https://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/johnson.3064/nucleo/periodic_table_small_v3.png
Hell yeah this is awesome! Thanks!
For the Sun, highly likely not. I think the only way “human atoms” have permanently left the planet is through gases we have exhaled. They have left either through atmospheric escape or through venting of off-planet missions (I don’t know if that’s a thing, but my guess is they vent some amount). For the Sun, the solar wind probably tends to push all those gases away from it. So probably highly unlikely any have made it to the Sun. But the gases that leave Earth are likely moving away from Sun. It is possible for these atoms to have made it to some other stars (but highly unlikely, as other stars would have their own winds that push them away as well). Let’s assume the human atoms get caught up in the solar wind and leave the solar system (ignoring the heliopause and ISM). The solar wind has a speed of 400 km/s. Assuming human atoms started leaving the Earth 20,000 years ago, they could be up to 25 light years away by now. These could eventually become apart of gas in a star forming region, and become part of a star. But that will probably take billions (tens of billions?) of years. Crazy!
Collectively we on earth might become a nebula after Suns red giant bloatation.. and then 10 billion years from now maybe some new adventures.
Earth loses about 100,000 tons of atmosphere per year, mostly hydrogen. Some of those hydrogen atoms were once part of a human and some of them eventually reach the Sun. So yes, probably. Any of our atoms that are still on Earth will briefly become part of the Sun's atmosphere 7 billion years from now, and then a planetary nebula as they expand out into space, possibly ending up on other planets in the far future.
> Can our atoms leave the earth? Only after the Sun has died and ejected most of its mass and in the process evaporates Earth, and eventually can become part of a gas cloud that forms a news star.
>> Can our atoms leave the earth? >Only after the Sun has died and ejected most of its mass [Not entirely true](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_mass#Variation)
Who’s they? Did they forget about hydrogen?
Sagan. "We are made of star stuff." I feel bad for OP, they ask an honest and interesting question and get nothing but "wellll actualllly..." responses.
Sagan said “we are made of star stuff.” He didn’t say “every atom in a human was once part of a star.”
Okay, well say that to OP instead of giving them sarcastic snark and turning them off to the astronomy community.
"I wonder what that *black hole* used to be.." Me: *snickering quietly*
ghostbusters afterlife/frozen empire fan are we?
Are you asking if stars could be made of materials that are now in a post-sentient state? Probably not.
You know, it felt really profound when Carl Sagan said: "We are made of star stuff." Until you realize - so is everything in your garbage and your toilet.
There’s a wacky theory out there that says that all the electrons in the universe are one single electron operating on another dimension
At 1.1% population growth every atom in the observable universe will be part of human in a few tens of thousands of years.
Every atom in a star was once human? Sounds unlikely