ESOcast 210 Light: First identification of a heavy element born from neutron star collision

Newly created strontium, an element used in fireworks, has been detected in space for the first time following observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The detection confirms that the heavier elements in the Universe can form in neutron star mergers, providing a missing piece of the puzzle of chemical element formation.

The video is available in 4K UHD.

The ESOcast Light is a series of short videos bringing you the wonders of the Universe in bite-sized pieces. The ESOcast Light episodes will not be replacing the standard, longer ESOcasts, but complement them with current astronomy news and images in ESO press releases.

Credit:

ESO

Directed by: Herbert Zodet.
Editing: Herbert Zodet.
Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida.
Written by: Vanessa Emeka-Okafor and Bárbara Ferreira.
Music: John Stanford – The Edge (johnstanfordmusic.com).
Footage and photos: ESO, L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser and Daniele Gasparri (www.astroatacama.com).
Scientific consultants: Paola Amico and Mariya Lyubenova.