NASA discovers two stars colliding so violently that they created gold

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have detected an extremely bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) , known as a kilonova. This is a violent collision between two neutron stars.

This rare cosmic explosion is called a kilonova and is so powerful that it can create gold, platinum and uranium in the universe.

Scientists say JWST has picked up the first sign of a kilonova - (Photo: NASA).

The death of two neutron stars

A kilonova explosion occurs when two neutron stars — massive collapsed stars — gravitationally orbit each other and eventually collide.

The collision created a powerful explosion known as a gamma-ray burst, followed by a wave of ultraviolet, infrared, and X-ray energy.

This particular explosion was given the NASA designation GRB 230307A .

The energy released by the explosion can be detected by remote sensors on Earth and in space.

Gold forged from the stars

Almost every element is created in a star, since the Big Bang (the physics theory that describes how the universe expanded to high density and temperature) only created helium, hydrogen, and lithium.

More complex elements like carbon and oxygen must be created from million-degree fusion reactions generated by stars.

But heavy elements like gold and uranium require extremely harsh conditions to be created. These only arise in very limited circumstances, such as when two neutron stars collide.

These elements are theoretically created by a mechanism called "neutron capture" or the r-process , which allows atomic nuclei to capture neutrons, creating new and heavier elements, including gold, platinum, and uranium.

The r-process can only take place under extreme and violent conditions, such as those found around colliding neutron stars.

Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to detect a bright gamma-ray burst. (Photo: NASA).

The team used the James Webb Space Telescope to track the journey of the neutron stars before they exploded. They were two stars in a binary system in a spiral galaxy. One of the stars exploded in a supernova, leaving behind a neutron star and the other.

Astronomers have been trying to identify the chemical elements created in the universe for decades. The detection of more kilonova explosions in the future with sensitive telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in 2027, could provide insights into how heavy elements are created and released in rare explosions.

Researchers also want to look for more mergers that produce gamma-ray bursts to determine their cause and whether there is any connection to the elements created in the process.