In 2017, astronomers detected the gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from colliding neutron stars. This had been long theorized as one of the causes of a certain type of gamma-ray burst. By studying the event and its afterglow, astronomers have learned a tremendous amount about the formation of the heaviest elements in the Universe.
![Ep. 681: Kilonovae](https://www.astronomycast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1650px-Eso1733s_Artists_impression_of_merging_neutron_stars-1080x675.jpg)