Kilonova Explosions: Gold Forged in Stellar Collisions

Kilonovae occur when two neutron stars—or a neutron star and black hole—collide.
These cataclysmic events are 1,000 times brighter than a classical nova.
The 2017 detection of a kilonova confirmed they create heavy elements like gold and platinum.
Each explosion can forge Earth-masses worth of precious metals in seconds.
Kilonovae produce both light and gravitational waves, making them multi-messenger events.
They also generate short gamma-ray bursts, some of the universe’s most powerful flashes.
The ejected material glows with a distinctive blue-to-red color shift as it expands.
Kilonova discoveries link neutron star physics, black holes, and cosmic chemistry.
They help explain where much of the universe’s gold and uranium came from.
Watching a kilonova is like witnessing the universe’s ultimate alchemy in action.