Profile of Paul Roche, who delivered an RSC lecture for Chemistry Week 2013 entitled 'Stardust: Creating the Chemistry of The Universe'. The video of the lecture is available on iTunes U.

Prof Paul Roche presents a general review of the physics and chemistry of stars, including star birth, star life and star death. This was a public lecture to celebrate the RSC's Chemistry Week 2013, and was held at the University of South Wales. Please refer to the accompanying lecture notes for more information on Prof Roche and his work.

Our Sun is just one of billions of stars within our home galaxy, the Milky Way. We can see it as a faint milky streak across the night sky. At its heart lies a massive black hole, billions of times the size of the Sun. This animation shows the Milky Way and our place in it. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris Davies (drama student, Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural...

There are vast clouds of gas in interstellar space where stars are born, known as nebulae. One of the most well known is the Orion nebula which can be seen in the constellation Orion. This animation shows the Orion nebula and some of its neighbours. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris Davies (drama student, Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, University of...

This animation describes the moons of Jupiter and, in particular, the Galilean Moons. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris Davies (drama student, Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, University of Glamorgan, 2010)

The planets, including the Earth, all travel around the Sun in a continuous orbit. We can see them slowly make their way across the night sky. However, every now and then a planet appears to turn around and move back the way it came. This is called a retrograde orbit and is caused by the different speeds at which the planets circle the Sun. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris...

This animation describes the different types of solar eclipse and how they happen. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris Davies (drama student, Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, University of Glamorgan, 2010)

This animation explains how and when lunar eclipses can occur within this cycle and indicates the eight phases which change our view of the shape. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris Davies (drama student, Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, University of Glamorgan, 2010)

This animation describes the interior of the Sun and the nuclear reactions that occur at its heart. It also demonstrates how solar flares erupt from the surface of the sun. Academic content and direction: Martin Griffiths; Multimedia designer/developer: Barry Richards; Commentary texts: Toby Murcott; Voice-over artist: Chris Davies (drama student, Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, University of Glamorgan, 2010)