Scientists discover kilonova debris in ocean, lunar soil

Scientists have discovered unusual radioactive materials at the bottom of the ocean. They believe these materials may be debris from cosmic explosions, specifically from a rare event called a kilonova that occurred around 10 million years ago. Researchers are now looking for more proof, possibly on the moon. During a recent presentation in California, astronomer Brian Fields explained how supernovae create tiny particles that fall to Earth and settle in the ocean and on the moon. Fields has been studying this for years, and since 2004, researchers have found radioactive iron in ocean samples, indicating supernova activity in Earth's history. In 2021, they found a rare plutonium isotope mixed with these samples, which is thought to originate from kilonovas. Kilonovas happen when two neutron stars collide in a cataclysmic event, producing elements like gold and platinum. Fields and his team now think a kilonova occurred before the two previously identified supernovas. The scientists believe that the debris from the kilonova and supernova formed a complex mixture of iron and plutonium in the samples. They are eager to conduct more tests, especially with plans for the Artemis missions to bring humans back to the moon. This would provide more lunar soil samples for study. Fields noted that lunar samples are currently limited but hopes future missions will make collecting them easier. He emphasized that the moon's surface is more straightforward to analyze than ocean floors, which are affected by currents and other factors. While the next Artemis mission is not scheduled to launch until next year, Fields and his team continue to gain support from the scientific community for their research, aiming to show that studying these cosmic explosions is important and worthwhile.