Inside stars, nuclear fusion occurs, fusing lighter elements into heavier ones. As stars reach the end of their lives, those with a mass several times greater than our Sun's collapse and explode in a supernova. During these violent events, tremendous energy and pressure generate temperatures exceeding several billion degrees Celsius.
In the intense conditions of a supernova, elements undergo rapid fusion reactions. It is during these explosions that heavier elements, including gold, are synthesized. The fusion process creates a surge of energy, causing the outer layers of the star to be expelled into space, spreading the newly formed elements throughout the cosmos.
These enriched materials mix with interstellar gas and dust, eventually becoming part of future generations of stars and planetary systems. This means that the gold we find on Earth, in jewelry or electronics, is the result of ancient supernovae that occurred billions of years ago.
So, the next time you appreciate the beauty of gold, remember that it has a cosmic origin and was formed during the fiery grand finale of massive stars millions or even billions of years ago.
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