                APOD: 2017 October 15 - On the Origin of Gold

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2017 October 15
                                      [2]
                            On the Origin of Gold
                Illustration Credit: Dana Berry [3] , NASA [4]

Explanation: Where did the gold [5] in your jewelry originate? No one is
completely sure [6] . The relative average abundance in our Solar System [7]
appears higher than can be made in the early universe [8] , in stars [9] , and
even in typical supernova explosions [10] . Some astronomers have suggested
[11] , and many believe, that neutron-rich heavy elements [12]  such as gold
[13]  might be most easily made [14]  in rare neutron [15] -rich explosions
such as the collision [16]  of neutron stars [17] . Pictured here [18]  is an
artist's illustration depicting two neutron stars [19]  spiraling in toward
each other, just before they collide [20] . Since neutron star collisions are
also suggested as the origin of short [21] duration [22] gamma-ray bursts [23]
, it is possible that you already own a souvenir from one of the most powerful
explosions [24]  in the universe.

 Note: The next APOD will debut during an NSF discovery announcement and press
                          briefing on Monday. [25]
                  Tomorrow's picture: smashing discovery [26]

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [38] (MTU [39] ) & Jerry Bonnell [40]
                                  (UMCP [41] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [42] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [43]
              A service of: ASD [44]  at NASA [45]  / GSFC [46]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [47]
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1710/nsmerger3_heasarc_3000.jpg
  [3]
http://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2013/Volume-36-Issue-7-Nov-Dec-2013-/
Portfolio-Dana-Berry.aspx
  [4] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold#History
  [6] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999ApJ...525L.121F
  [7] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/solarsystem
  [8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis
  [9] http://zebu.uoregon.edu/textbook/energygen.html
  [10] http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/snr.html
  [11]
http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/mpa/institute/news_archives/news1109_janka/
news1109_janka-en.html
  [12] ap160125.html
  [13] http://periodic.lanl.gov/79.shtml
  [14] https://phys.org/news/2016-03-international-team-explores-elements.html
  [15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron
  [16] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8s81MzzJ5c
  [17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_star
  [18]
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/objects/heapow/archive/transients/
grb050509b_swift.html
  [19] http://www.astro.umd.edu/~miller/nstar.html
  [20] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfDDI_SCarw
  [21] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-70vwwabKk
  [22] ap051017.html
  [23] ap980507.html
  [24] ap020405.html
  [25] https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=243379&org=NSF&from=news
  [26] ap171016.html
  [27] ap171014.html
  [28] archivepix.html
  [29] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [30] lib/aptree.html
  [31] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [32] calendar/allyears.html
  [33] /apod.rss
  [34] lib/edlinks.html
  [35] lib/about_apod.html
  [36] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=171015
  [37] ap171016.html
  [38] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [39] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [40] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [41] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [42] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [43] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  [44] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [45] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [46] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [47] http://www.mtu.edu/
