Neutron-star merger creates new mysteries

The neutron-star merger announced in October 2017 has solved one mystery – where gold comes from – but has also raised other questions, an international team reports today in the journal Nature.

The merger, dubbed GW170817, took place 130 million light-years away and was detected in August by the gravitational waves it created. Astronomers then followed it up with conventional telescopes including our Australia Telescope Compact Array.

Added by Gabby Russell on 2017-12-21