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To: Phsstpok
"I've always been under the impression that all of the complex atoms that are the basic building blocks for, well, just about everything, including us, was formed in stellar explosions, either novas or super novas."

Actually, many elements are formed in stars long before they go nova or supernova. Once hydrogen fuel is depleted, stars start fusing helium into carbon and oxygen, then those elements are subsequently fused into even heavier elements such as nitrogen and silicon, finally culminating in iron. All elements heavier than iron are formed in supernova explosions. The fact that Earth is rich in those heavy elements is proof that the primordial dust cloud of our solar system was enriched by supernova explosions, which also probably started the initial gravitational collapse of the dust cloud.

21 posted on 11/24/2004 1:50:18 PM PST by Batrachian
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To: Batrachian
All elements heavier than iron are formed in supernova explosions.

Not exactly true, (other than the man-made elements) there are fusions that create elements
just above iron, but obviously a pittance compared to iron.

35 posted on 11/24/2004 2:21:49 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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