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Elements from the stars: The unexpected discovery that upended astrophysics 66 years ago

  • Written by Artemis Spyrou, Associate Professor of Nuclear Physics, Michigan State University
Elements from the stars: The unexpected discovery that upended astrophysics 66 years agoNew heavy nuclei are constantly generated in stars and other astronomical bodies.Erin O’Donnell, CC BY-ND

Nearly 70 years ago, astronomer Paul Merrill was watching the sky through a telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory in Pasadena, California. As he observed the light coming from a distant star, he saw signatures of the element technetium.

Thi...

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