Luminary Lineage: Did an Ancient Supernova Trigger the Solar System's Birth?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 - 09:56 in Astronomy & Space

One star dies, another is born. The remains of the old are gathered up, at least in some small measure, to become part of the new. That is the astronomical circle of life, the reason that stars have evolved through the eons, each generation incorporating new elements synthesized in the stars that came before. Unlike the earliest stars of hydrogen and helium, stars nowadays contain heavier elements passed down to them by their predecessors, such as carbon, iron and oxygen. [More] Star - Astronomy - Hydrogen - Helium - Solar System

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