# How many supernovas does it take to make a solar system's worth of heavier elements?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-supernovas-does-it-take-to-make-a-solar-systems-worth-of-heavier-elements/802189>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 20, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-supernovas-does-it-take-to-make-a-solar-systems-worth-of-heavier-elements/802189 "2017-11-20T14:26:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-supernovas-does-it-take-to-make-a-solar-systems-worth-of-heavier-elements/802189/5 "2017-11-20T19:23:36Z")

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According to [a recent news story](http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/10/17/astronomers-strike-gold-witness-massive-cosmic-collision.html), only lighter elements (including iron) are produced by supernovae. Elements with atomic weight much higher than iron are produced by _ **collisions of neutron stars** _.

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