On the Origin of Gold
			
		
		
		
			Where did the 
gold 
in your jewelry originate?  
No one is completely sure.  
The relative average abundance in our 
Solar System appears higher than can be made in the 
early universe, in 
stars, and even in typical 
supernova explosions.  
Some 
astronomers 
now suggest that neutron-rich heavy 
elements such as 
gold might be most easily 
made in rare 
neutron-rich 
explosions such as the 
collision of 
neutron stars.  
Pictured above is a computer-animated frame depicting two 
neutron stars spiraling in toward each other, 
just before they collide.  
Since neutron star collisions are also suggested as the origin of 
short 
duration gamma-ray bursts, 
it is possible that you already own a souvenir from one of the most 
powerful explosions in the universe.