neutron star collisions

Neutron star collisions occur when two incredibly dense remnants of collapsed stars orbit each other and eventually merge due to gravitational attraction. Neutron stars are the leftover cores of massive stars that have exploded as supernovae, composed mostly of tightly packed neutrons. When they collide, they release enormous energy, producing gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime—and often ejecting heavy elements like gold and platinum into space. These events are crucial for understanding extreme physics and the origins of some of the universe’s heavy elements, and they can be observed through both gravitational wave detectors and electromagnetic telescopes.