Supernova Dust Fell to Earth in Antarctic Meteorites
Two primitive meteorites collected in Antarctica appear to contain grains of silica - the stuff of quartz and sand - forged in an ancient supernova that predates the birth of the solar system. In fact, some researchers believe that it was just such a stellar explosion that triggered the formation of the solar system from a cloud of dust and gas billions of years ago. Whether or not the Antarctic meteorites contain a record of that fateful cataclysm, they do contain a supernova by-product that has never before been found on Earth. Read more