‘Supernova graveyard’: Scientists find deep sea traces of ancient stellar deaths

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Credit : NASA

Ancient Space Debris

Scientists have found deep-sea traces of radioactive plutonium—evidence of a cosmic explosion 10 million years ago.

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Supernova Graveyard

Astronomers believe Earth is littered with debris from past supernovas, hidden in the deep sea and even on the moon’s surface.

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Cosmic Gold Factory

Kilonovas forge rare elements like gold and platinum—now, scientists think one of these violent eruptions blasted Earth with space dust.

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Plutonium Puzzle

This rare radioactive isotope can’t form naturally on Earth, leading researchers to suspect a kilonova explosion was the culprit.

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Moon Holds Answers

Unlike Earth’s shifting oceans, the moon preserves cosmic debris intact—making it the perfect place to verify this ancient explosion.

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Supernova Remix

Scientists believe a kilonova explosion mixed with later supernovas, creating a radioactive cocktail that rained down on Earth.

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Artemis Mission Boost

With NASA’s Artemis program returning to the moon, researchers hope to analyze lunar soil for more kilonova debris.

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10M-Year-Old Mystery

By studying deep-sea sediments and lunar samples, scientists aim to pinpoint when and where this cosmic explosion occurred.

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Space Trash Hunt

The next phase of research could confirm that kilonovas left their mark on Earth—proving we live in a graveyard of stellar deaths.

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