Magnetar flares produce planet-sized precious metals


Scientists at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics found a single giant flare from a super-magnetized star may have produced planet-sized quantities of gold, platinum, and other heavy elements, giving a new scope of study for metal search across space.

The flare, unleashed by a magnetar — a rare type of neutron star with magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than Earth’s — was observed in 2004. Though the intense burst of energy lasted only seconds, scientists now estimate it forged up to 200 million trillion kilograms of heavy elements, equivalent to 27 lunar masses or nearly a third of Earth’s mass.

Published Monday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the study proposes that such magnetar flares could account for up to 10% of all the universe’s gold, platinum, and uranium—materials previously thought to originate almost exclusively from neutron star collisions.

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“This is only the second time we’ve directly observed where these rare elements come from,” said co-author Dr. Brian Metzger of Columbia University.

Scientists now believe magnetar flares could be more common than previously thought and may explain the unexpected abundance of precious metals in young galaxies, which NASA’s upcoming COSI gamma-ray observatory, scheduled for launch in 2027, is expected to explore and help identify more such flares and track precious metals across space.

Treasures throughout cosmos

Once space exploration pushes deeper into the solar system and beyond, scientists are hopeful of uncovering not just the mysteries of planets and stars but also the abundance of precious metals scattered throughout the cosmos.

NASA’s MESSENGER mission revealed that Mercury is an iron-heavy world, with a core that may account for nearly 85% of its volume. While not rich in precious metals like gold or platinum, the planet is thought to contain nickel and iron sulfides — important indicators of how metals distribute due to proximity to the Sun.

The Moon, Earth’s nearest metallic partner, holds commercially viable quantities of non-radioactive Helium 3, or He3, besides titanium, iron, and possibly trace amounts of rare-earth elements locked in ancient basalt plains. China’s Chang’e missions and NASA’s Artemis program are both eyeing these resources for future lunar infrastructure.

Mars too, hosts abundant iron oxides, the source of its iconic red hue. Recent rover data from Perseverance and Curiosity confirm the presence of aluminum, magnesium, and nickel, raising hopes for eventual in-situ resource utilization as human missions gear up in the next decade.

Apart from the planets in our solar family, asteroids have also opened the cosmic vaults of gold, platinum, and diamond. In fact, the richest sources of precious metals lie not on planets but in metallic asteroids like 16 Psyche — a 200-km-wide object believed to contain iron, nickel, gold, and platinum, estimated at over $10 quintillion. NASA’s 2023 Psyche mission will soon offer the first up-close look at this cosmic treasure trove.

Beyond our solar neighborhood, telescopes have detected vaporized iron and titanium in the scorching atmospheres of so-called “hot Jupiters” like WASP-121b and KELT-9b.

Even more intriguing is 55 Cancri e, a lava-covered super-Earth where high-pressure carbon conditions might produce diamond-rich interiors — though that remains speculative for now. It’s not an asteroid but an exoplanet, 41 light-years away, with a high carbon-to-oxygen ratio, which led scientists once to theorize it as a diamond planet. Later studies, however, suggest its composition is more complex, though carbon-rich materials are more likely.

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“These aren’t just scientific curiosities,” says Laura Martinez, a planetary geologist at ESA. “They’re windows into the formation of worlds and, potentially, into the future of off-world mining.”

In another fascinating twist, astronomers have detected gold, platinum, and uranium-like signatures in the atmospheres of white dwarf stars, remnants of once-active solar systems. These heavy metals likely originate from shattered planets and asteroids — evidence that space recycling is violent but resource-rich.

With the rise of private space ventures and a surge in interplanetary missions, harvesting space metals is slowly moving from science fiction to strategy. While Earth remains our primary source for precious elements, the stars are whispering of far richer caches, waiting for humanity’s next leap.

“If the Moon was the first step,” says Martinez, “then asteroid mining could be our giant leap into the space economy.”



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