| Watch this and other space videos at SpaceRip.com Recently astronomers used the Suzaku orbiting X-ray observatory, operated jointly by NASA and the Japanese space agency, to discover the largest known reservoir of rare metals in the universe. Suzaku detected the elements chromium and manganese while observing the central region of the Perseus galaxy cluster. The metallic atoms are part of the hot gas, or "intergalactic medium," that lies between galaxies. Thumbnail "The Robot (3) 20102007 Inspired by Hajime Sorayama by Emile Noordeloos." Exploding stars, or supernovas, forge the heavy elements. The supernovas also create vast outflows, called superwinds. These galactic gusts transport heavy elements into the intergalactic void. What is the universe made of? The vast majority of it consists of the wispy cosmic lightweights hydrogen and helium. Everything else on the periodic table contributes only a small fraction of the whole. Elements heavier than hydrogen and helium are forged in stars, and during their explosive deaths as supernovas. Type 1a supernovas are nature's most productive foundries. An old white dwarf star pulls gas off its giant neighbor. The dwarf gains mass until it becomes unstable and blows itself to bits. The explosion creates vast amounts of heavy elements and blasts them into space. Suzaku is an orbiting X-ray observatory, operated jointly by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency. And it recently spotted the metals chromium and manganese in intergalactic ... |
