A VIOLENT STAR EXPLOSION JUST REVEALED A HIDDEN RECIPE FOR LIFE

A supernova’s surprising chemical bounty reveals how stars forge some of life’s essential elements

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Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is the remnant of a star that exploded around 350 years ago, leaving behind a dead star called a neutron star at the center of the expanding cloud of gas produced by the explosion.

(NASA/CXC/SAO)

“WHY are we here?” remains one of the most enduring questions humans have posed.

One way scientists approach this idea is by tracing where the elements around us first formed. Many elements are created inside stars and in the explosive debris of supernovae, which scatter this material across space, but the origins of several important elements have been difficult to explain.

Chlorine and potassium fall into this category. They are classified as odd-Z elements -- possessing an odd number of protons -- and are crucial for both life and the development of planets. Current models, however, indicate that stars should produce only about one-tenth of the chlorine and potassium that astronomers actually observe in the universe, leading to a longstanding scientific puzzle.