The Plume of Gold Ejected by a Cosmic Collision
Astronomers say the merger of two neutron stars produced about 10,000 Earth-masses of precious heavy elements.
Some 130 million years ago, in another galaxy, two neutron stars spiraled closer and closer together until they smashed into each other in spectacular fashion. The violent collision produced gravitational waves, cosmic ripples powerful enough to stretch and squeeze the fabric of the universe. There was a brief flash of light a million trillion times as
