Scientists analyzed more than 300 kg of Antarctic ice and discovered traces of radioactive stardust left by ancient supernova explosions on Earth.

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 26/05/2026 at 15:38

20 people reacted to this.

Researchers analyzed over 300 kilograms of ancient Antarctic ice and identified iron-60, a rare isotope associated with supernovas, reinforcing the connection between Earth and the Local Interstellar Cloud

Traces of radioactive stardust were identified in Antarctic ice samples aged between 40,000 and 80,000 years, indicating that particles formed by ancient stellar explosions reached Earth and were preserved in the ice. The discovery involves iron-60, a rare isotope associated with supernovas.

Iron-60 in ice points to stardust, material coming from supernovas

A team led by Dominik Koll, from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR, analyzed ancient Antarctic ice in search of signs of radioactive material produced outside Earth.

The study, published in Physical Review Letters, identified iron-60 atoms embedded in the samples. This isotope is considered important for astrophysicists because it is not naturally produced in large quantities on the planet.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

More than 300 kilograms of ancient ice were processed

To achieve the result, the researchers collected and processed over 300 kilograms of Antarctic ice.

The samples were melted, underwent chemical treatment, and were examined by accelerator mass spectrometry.

The technique allows for the identification of extremely rare isotopes with a high degree of precision, counting atoms individually. It was this method that allowed for the isolation of traces of iron-60 in the analyzed material.

“We searched for individual atoms of the radioactive isotope 60Fe,” stated Dominic Koll. “This isotope is a fingerprint of exploding stars.”

The phrase summarizes why the finding is relevant for space research. Iron-60 functions as a marker of cosmic processes associated with supernovas, allowing the tracking of dust originating from outside the solar system.

Radioactive stardust may be linked to the Local Interstellar Cloud

The results suggest that material from a nearby supernova was trapped in the Local Interstellar Cloud, a region formed by gas, dust, and plasma dispersed among nearby stars.

The solar system has been moving through this region for tens of thousands of years, according to scientists. The presence of iron-60 in the ice helps investigate how this cosmic environment around the solar system may have formed.

The research expands on a study published in 2019, when members of the same team identified iron-60 for the first time in Antarctic snow. At that time, the origin of the isotope was still unclear.

“We didn’t know where it came from,” said Koll. “So we kept working on it, tracking the flow… and we came to the conclusion that it is related to the local interstellar cloud.”

Watch the video

Difference between recent snow and ancient ice reinforces new hypothesis

The researchers compared recent snow samples with much older ice layers. The analysis showed an important difference in the concentration of iron-60.

The older samples had smaller amounts of the isotope. This indicates that less interstellar dust reached Earth during that period, compared to more recent records.

The pattern also does not match the iron-60 deposits previously found in ocean sediments millions of years old.

This difference led the team to consider a more local origin, connected to the interstellar environment surrounding the solar system.

According to information shared with Space.com, the study offers one of the first direct opportunities to investigate the origin of the interstellar clouds around the solar system.

“This means that the clouds surrounding the solar system are linked to a stellar explosion,” stated Koll in a statement. “And, for the first time, this gives us the opportunity to investigate the origin of these clouds.”

Scientists estimate that the solar system entered the Local Nebula between 40,000 and 124,000 years ago. The next step will be to examine even older ice, deposited before this interval, to more accurately track the arrival of interstellar dust on Earth.

This article was prepared based on information from the study published in Physical Review Letters and information shared with Space.com, with data, numbers, and statements preserved as per the consulted material.

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Scientists analyzed more than 300 kg of Antarctic ice and discovered traces of radioactive stardust left by ancient supernova explosions on Earth.

Researchers analyzed over 300 kilograms of ancient Antarctic ice and identified iron-60, a rare isotope associated with supernovas, reinforcing the connection between Earth and the Local Interstellar Cloud

Iron-60 in ice points to stardust, material coming from supernovas

More than 300 kilograms of ancient ice were processed

Radioactive stardust may be linked to the Local Interstellar Cloud

Difference between recent snow and ancient ice reinforces new hypothesis

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

The river that “dies” in the desert never reaches the sea and yet gives life to one of Africa’s largest natural refuges in a truly impressive way.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

Man builds house with concrete made from recycled paper and attracts attention in Portugal; named Porta do Caracol, the home features solar panels, a vertical garden, and a pool with natural filters.

Goodbye to conventional plaster? New material used on walls reduces waste and steps in construction and draws the attention of engineers by offering faster application and greater construction efficiency – discover the advantages of smooth gypsum.

Roblox changes the rules for children and teenagers in Brazil and promises a safer platform with selfies and parental control.

As small communities struggle to maintain local income, Zigurats bets on its own cryptocurrency and transforms water, clay, and cosmetics into digital assets.

With a wingspan of 56.4 meters, the B-52H Stratofortress carries up to 31.5 tons of armaments and remains one of the main strategic bombers of the United States.

Scientists analyzed more than 300 kg of Antarctic ice and discovered traces of radioactive stardust left by ancient supernova explosions on Earth.

Researchers analyzed over 300 kilograms of ancient Antarctic ice and identified iron-60, a rare isotope associated with supernovas, reinforcing the connection between Earth and the Local Interstellar Cloud

Iron-60 in ice points to stardust, material coming from supernovas

More than 300 kilograms of ancient ice were processed

Radioactive stardust may be linked to the Local Interstellar Cloud

Difference between recent snow and ancient ice reinforces new hypothesis

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

The river that “dies” in the desert never reaches the sea and yet gives life to one of Africa’s largest natural refuges in a truly impressive way.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

Roblox changes the rules for children and teenagers in Brazil and promises a safer platform with selfies and parental control.

Water can carry pesticides invisible to common treatment, but nanosensors developed by Brazilian researchers promise to speed up the alert before the risk reaches the tap.

Gases created to save the ozone layer have become a new global warning: substitutes for CFCs have already released more than 335,000 tons of a “forever chemical” onto the Earth as invisible rain, contaminating everything from tap water to Arctic ice.

Researchers present a hydrogen ion battery capable of storing energy in two different forms, an innovative solution that promises to increase the autonomy of renewable systems and simplify energy transportation.

Embrapa takes cashew, peanuts, and sesame to the world’s largest seed bank in Norway, where Brazil has already stored more than 8,000 samples since 2012 against pests and climate change.

Man builds house with concrete made from recycled paper and attracts attention in Portugal; named Porta do Caracol, the home features solar panels, a vertical garden, and a pool with natural filters.

Goodbye to conventional plaster? New material used on walls reduces waste and steps in construction and draws the attention of engineers by offering faster application and greater construction efficiency – discover the advantages of smooth gypsum.

Roblox changes the rules for children and teenagers in Brazil and promises a safer platform with selfies and parental control.

As small communities struggle to maintain local income, Zigurats bets on its own cryptocurrency and transforms water, clay, and cosmetics into digital assets.

With a wingspan of 56.4 meters, the B-52H Stratofortress carries up to 31.5 tons of armaments and remains one of the main strategic bombers of the United States.