Astronomy
The Origin of Elements in Space
Quick fact
More than half of the elements heavier than iron—like gold, platinum, and uranium—are formed in the violent collisions of neutron stars, not in ordinary supernovae.
Why this is interesting
Every atom in your body was once inside a star that exploded billions of years ago. How did the universe transform a primordial soup of hydrogen and helium into the rich variety of elements we see on Earth?