ABSTRACT
Stars in the late stages of stellar evolution, from asymptotic giant branch to planetary nebulae phases, have been observed to be prolific sources of molecules, minerals, and complex organics. Over thousand-year timescales, evolved stars can synthesize organic compounds with mixed aromatic-aliphatic structures and eject them into the interstellar medium. These stellar organics are likely to have been embedded in the early solar system and possibly even in the primordial Earth. The fact that complex organics are commonly synthesized by ordinary stars suggests that the basic ingredients for life are widely present in the galaxy and that life could have developed elsewhere independently, with biochemical pathways completely different from those that led to life on Earth.
