Category: Space > Kilonova
When two neutron stars collide, they create a spectacular cosmic event known as a kilonova. This collision releases an immense amount of energy and produces heavy elements, such as gold and platinum, through a process called rapid neutron capture, or r-process nucleosynthesis. The explosion not only emits bright light across multiple wavelengths, including gamma rays and visible light, but also generates gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime that can be detected by observatories like LIGO and Virgo. This groundbreaking discovery provided astronomers with insights into the origins of heavy elements in the universe and confirmed theories about the life cycles of stars, emphasizing the intricate connections between stellar evolution, extreme physics, and the fabric of the cosmos.