Astronomers Observe Kilonova: The Collision of Two Neutron Stars

Astronomers observing the collision of two neutron stars have gained new insights into the nature of the universe and its most violent events. This phenomenon, known as a kilonova, occurs when two neutron stars, the incredibly dense remnants of dead stars, collide and merge, releasing an enormous amount of energy in the process.   Their merger was witnessed by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Big Telescope in the Atacama Desert, Chile, in 2017. These instruments detected gravitational waves emanating from the collision, which allowed astronomers to determine the location of the event and focus their telescopes on it.   Observations of the kilonova provided a wealth of information about the nature of neutron stars and the universe as a whole. The collision created heavy elements like gold and platinum, which are not produced in the normal fusion reactions that power stars. This event also confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, which were predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity but had never been directly detected before.   The kilonova was also observed in multiple wavelengths of light, from gamma rays to radio waves. These observations allowed astronomers to study the behavior of matter in extreme conditions, such as the incredibly high temperatures and pressures that occur during a neutron star collision.   The observation of a kilonova is a major milestone in the study of astrophysics and the understanding of the universe. By combining data from different instruments and studying the event in detail, astronomers have gained new insights into the nature of matter, gravity, and the universe itself.