‘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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