Artist’s Impression of Kilonova Progenitor Star System (IMAGE)

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)

Artist’s Impression of Kilonova Progenitor Star System

Caption

This is an artist’s impression of the first confirmed detection of a star system that will one day form a kilonova — the ultra-powerful, gold-producing explosion created by merging neutron stars. These systems are so phenomenally rare that only about 10 such systems are thought to exist in the entire Milky Way.

Credit

CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Spaceengine/M. Zamani

Usage Restrictions

No restrictions.

License

CC0

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