Dying stars called collapsars may forge much of the universe’s gold

Spinning stellar objects collapsing into black holes could help explain heavy elements’ origins

gamma ray burst

BLAST FROM COLLAPSE  A collapsar occurs when a massive, spinning star collapses into a black hole, powering a blast of light known as a long gamma ray burst (illustrated) and exploding the star’s outer layers.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The gold in your favorite jewelry could be the messy leftovers from a newborn black hole’s first meal.