There are more stars in the night sky than the number of humans who have ever lived on Earth!

Look up into the night sky and marvel at the stars, shining brightly. To the human eye, only about 1,500 to 3,000 stars may be visible, but there are many more in the sky. The most powerful observatories can detect billions of stars. Scientists estimate that the Milky Way alone contains between 100 billion and 400 billion stars and believe that there are two trillion galaxies in the observable universe, making the probable number of stars somewhere in the trillions!

Today, there are 8.3 billion humans alive on planet Earth. Since the beginning of time on Earth, demographic scientists estimate that around 117 billion human beings have been born and lived, counting back around 7 million years B.C.E.!

Think of a star like our own sun, a glowing ball of hot gas – mostly hydrogen and helium – held together by its own gravity. Stars live from millions to trillions of years. Humans if fortunate, may live 100 years.

Everyone has a soul, and it is a light that shines like a star, but no human can outshine a star. The universe has its own message for humans; be aware of your place in it, and seek peace and happiness, because you will never outlast it or eclipse it.

“We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins, carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains. 93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames, we are all just stars that have people names.”

poem by – Nikita Gill