NASA Reveals Cosmic Origins of Gold Found in Jewelry and Phones

SCIENCE

By Aniket Chakraborty May 3, 2025 Arrow

NASA research reveals gold may have formed in magnetar explosions!

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Magnetars are hyper-magnetic stars unleashing immense energy bursts.

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A single giant flare can create heavy elements like gold and platinum.

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These cosmic flares release more energy than the sun emits in a million years!

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Scientists confirmed that such flares could produce up to 10% of Earth's gold.

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The process involves extreme reactions called rapid neutron capture, or r-process.

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This cosmic discovery solves a mystery of how elements heavier than iron formed.

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Upcoming missions like NASA’s COSI will hunt for more of these stellar fingerprints.

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So next time you wear gold, remember: it’s stardust from the ancient universe!

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