The origin of gold on Earth: a journey from the stars

Gold, that precious metal that has fascinated humanity for millennia, is not only a symbol of wealth and beauty. Its existence connects us with cosmic events of immense magnitude. But where does the gold we find on Earth really come from? The answer is not only surprising, but also takes us to the ends of the universe.

The creation of gold: stellar cataclysms

Gold does not form under the normal conditions we find on Earth. This heavy metal has a much older and more violent origin: collisions between neutron stars and supernovae.

-Neutron stars and kilonovae: When two neutron stars—the ultradense remnants of massive stars that have exploded—collide, they release an enormous amount of energy in an event known as a kilonova. These collisions produce heavy elements such as gold and platinum through a process called fast neutron capture (or r-process).

-Supernovas: The explosions of massive stars also contribute to the formation of heavy elements. During a supernova, the extreme conditions allow the synthesis of elements such as gold, which are then launched into space in the shock wave.

These stellar catastrophes not only create gold, they disperse it throughout the galaxy, enriching the clouds of gas and dust that eventually form new stars and planetary systems.

Gold comes to Earth

Approximately 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth formed from a cloud of gas and dust in which the elements created by previous generations of stars were already present. However, most of the gold produced by these processes ended up in the Earth’s core due to its high density during the differentiation of the planet in its early stages.

Most of the gold we know today in the Earth’s crust arrived much later, during an event called the Great Late Bombardmentapproximately 4,000 million years ago. During this period, a shower of meteorites rich in gold and other metals hit the Earth, depositing these valuable resources in the crust.

Gold and humanity

Gold not only has an extraordinary origin; It has also played a fundamental role in human history. Since the first civilizations, it has been used as currency, jewelry and a symbol of power. Its rarity and brilliance make it a highly valued resource.

Today, gold is also essential in technology, especially in the manufacturing of electronic devices and space applications. Each piece of gold we wear represents not only material wealth, but also a direct link to cosmic events that occurred billions of years before we existed.

Studying the origin of gold not only teaches us about the universe’s past, but could also have implications for the future. With space exploration underway, it could be possible for humans to explore asteroids rich in gold and other precious metals in search of resources.