Planets form more commonly in star systems with relatively high concentrations of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, a new study suggests. Such heavier elements are necessary to form the dust ...

Scientists detected strontium in the aftermath of a dead-star collision. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. For the first time, ...

The plutonium-244 hints at how heavy metals form in stars. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. A rare version of the radioactive ...

Understanding the origin of heavy elements on the periodic table is one of the most challenging open problems in all of physics. In the search for conditions suitable for these elements via ...

Planets may not be able to form without a heaping helping of heavy elements such as silicon, titanium and magnesium, a new study suggests. Stars that host planets have higher concentrations of such ...

How heavy can an element be? An international team of researchers has found that ancient stars were capable of producing elements with atomic masses greater than 260, heavier than any element on the ...