An exploding supernova nearly destroyed our solar system some four billion years ago, according to research published earlier this year.
Scientists studying isotopes of elements discovered in meteorites (crashed asteroids) have suggested that the materials work as a type of cosmic fossil, allowing us to determine their evolution throughout the universe, LiveScience reported in its coverage of the research. Teams studying these isotopes found varying concentrations of aluminum throughout the multi-billion-year history of our cosmos.
But at one point, roughly 4.6 billion years ago, a huge amount of additional radioactive aluminum was blasted in our direction. Researchers believe that one of the only places these materials could have come from is an exploding supernova, according to the study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.
See that bright speck of light in the lower left corner?
It’s an exploding star that has outshone its entire host galaxy.The striking image shown captures a star detonating in Supernova 1994D, located on the periphery of a lenticular galaxy named NGC 4526. 1/ pic.twitter.com/TwxE20Z5gl
— Erika (@ExploreCosmos_) July 14, 2023
Supernova explosions happen as massive stars gradually die and run out of fuel. At this point, the cores cannot support themselves under gravitational collapse. Our dawning solar system likely only survived the blast due to a buffer of molecular gas, which acted as a cocoon around the materials that eventually went on to form us, LiveScience noted. (RELATED: Recovered Meteorite Could Be Alien Technology, Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb Claims)
But the coolest part is that our current understanding of physics suggests that we’re all made up of the same materials that once existed within stars. God literally made us out of stardust, and if that doesn’t just warm your heart, then I don’t know what will.