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You've probably heard that "we are stardust," but this graphic breaks it down further & tells you what kind of stars your dust came from--and which elements didn't come from stars at all.
@getajobmike@ruby.social@coreyspowell Huh, I wonder how does “merging neutron stars" lead to further elements. Shouldn't it form a black hole?
A neutron star merger produces a black hole, but also a significant amount of ejected matter. We know that a lot of stuff must be shot out because astronomers can see radiation from this material, which is observed as a kilonova.
www.psu.eduMerging neutron stars: The unfolding story of a kilonova told in X-rays | Penn State UniversityAstronomers may have detected a kilonova — a powerful event that results when two neutron stars merge — in an event called GW170817. Several years after its first detection, the event has continued to emit X-rays that were detected with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and analyzed by an international team including Penn State scientists.
@coreyspowell never heard of “kilonova”, thank you! And what a fantastic image, almost looks like an artist’s conception.