To me one of the most compellingly beautiful things in the Universe is the death of a star. Not because of the majestic spectacle which occurs, but because that star potentially never had the opportunity to nurture life upon an orbiting chunk of habitable rock. It would never have had trillions of lifeforms relying on it, utterly dependent on it’s energy, and even worshipping it for millennia. The universe itself completely unaware of these practically insignificant events, with only us around to witness their lights burning out, and yet most will be far too distant for even our curious eyes. That is why I find the death of a star incredibly beautiful, because when you think about it, it’s profoundly tragic.
