Hubble watches neutron stars collide and explode to create black hole and 'birth atoms'

A purple circle with red and yellow fire within it and two yellow beams erupting from its poles.

Astronomers have witnessed the titanic collision between two neutron stars that resulted in the birth of the smallest black hole ever seen and forged precious metals like gold, silver, and uranium. 

The team's snapshot of this violent and powerful collision, which occurred 130 million light-years away from us in the galaxy NGC 4993, was created with a range of instruments, including the Hubble Space Telescope. It will hopefully paint a picture of the "past, present, and future" of the mergers of these dense dead stars. This could reveal the origins of elements heavier than iron, which can't be forged in even the most massive stars.