For the first time, astronomers have identified a chemical element that was freshly formed by the merging of two neutron stars. The underlying mechanism, called the r-process—also known as rapid neutron capture—is considered to be the origin of large quantities of elements heavier than iron.
![](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2019/3-stars.jpg)
Source:
https://phys.org/news/2019-11-alchemy-merging-neutron-stars.html