Dr. Michelle Thaller is an American astronomer and the Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. In this seven-part series she explores the astronomical concepts in Robert Hayden’s poem “Stars”, the source material for Trevor Weston’s composition of the same name, which was commissioned and premiered by Musiqa in 2020. This series was designed for middle school and high schoolers, but will appeal to anyone with an interest in the mysteries of the universe.

This project was made possible through the generous cooperation of NASA. All images provided courtesy of NASA.

Part 1: The Constellation Orion and the Birth and Death of Stars

Part 2: The Names and Lives of Stars

Part 3: The Deaths of Stars

Part 4: The Stories of Stars and Sojourner Truth

Part 5: Mysteries of Physics: Neutron Stars, Black Holes and More

Part 6: More Mysteries of Physics: Neutron Stars, Black Holes and More

Part 7: Our Place in the Universe

Robert Hayden’s poem “Stars” was the source material for this work by Trevor Weston.