WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 11
LIGHT SHOW. Merging neutron
stars 130 million light-years away
unleashed a gravitational wave
detected on Earth August 17. The
merger also left behind an optical
afterglow and created a number
of heavy elements, including
gold and platinum, solving the
decades-old mystery of why these
elements are so abundant in our
universe. RON MILLER FOR ASTRONOMY