50 years ago, scientists didn’t know where heavy elements came from
Excerpt from the December 20, 1969 issue of Science News
![supernova](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/102919_sb_50ya-supernova_feat.jpg?fit=1028%2C579&ssl=1)
Heavy elements probably aren’t created by an ordinary star exploding, or a supernova, the remnants of which are shown in this infrared and X-ray compsite image. But scientists now have seen these elements created in the collision of two neutron stars. Regular supernovas (like the one in this image created with infrared and X-ray data) probably can’t form heavy elements, but powerful, more exotic supernovas might.
NASA Goddard