Astronomy Picture of the Day -- On the Origin of Gold

NASA ^ | September 11, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Where did the gold in your jewelry originate? No one is completely sure. The relative average abundance in our Solar System appears higher than can be made in the early universe, in stars, and even in typical supernova explosions. Some astronomers have recently suggested that neutron-rich heavy elements such as gold might be most easily made in rare neutron-rich explosions such as the collision of neutron stars. Pictured above is an artist's illustration depicting two neutron stars spiraling in toward each other, just before they collide. Since neutron star collisions are also suggested as the origin of short duration gamma-ray bursts, it is possible that you already own a souvenir from one of the most powerful explosions in the universe.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: Dana Berry, NASA]

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.galmarley.com/framesets/fs_commodity_essentials_faqs.htm

Gold : prices, facts, figures & research

Commodity Numbers FAQs

How much gold is there?

In the world there are currently somewhere between 120,000 and 140,000 tonnes of gold ‘above ground’. To visualise this imagine a single solid gold cube with edges of about 19 metres (about three metres short of the length of a tennis court). That’s all that has ever been produced.

Divided amongst the population of the world there are about 23 grams per person, about 1.2 cubic centimetres each. This equates to about $250 - $350 worth per person on Earth, depending on the current price.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[stars & stripes forever]

God spoke it into being, just like the rest of creation, with the exception of man, who was formed by his own hands in His image.

[ari-freedom]

[Daffynition]

[ari-freedom]

must be related

[SunkenCiv]

There are some teams which could really use someone that’s good in the paint.

[SunkenCiv]

great, now I’ve got that song running through my head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DMagCoUYvIXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D51Wg6k9cWhM
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DUbOUSSHWn68
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DfKZbqo7cIJw
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DGIBMH9w29DI

http://ladiesroom.fr/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/goldfinger.jpg
http://arrogntbrand.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/goldfinger2.jpg

[Big Horn]

Gold is selling for $70 per gram on Ebay now.

[cripplecreek]

Kind of on and off topic.

I've been using photoshop for several years now and have gotten pretty passable with most things but I've found that the single hardest thing is to create passable space art. Galaxies are easy, planets are easy, and individual stars are easy but the randomness of deep space is tough to do in a computer.

This pic is kind of busy but its just practice and a demo of where my abilities are today.(I also lose some sharpness in posting to FR.

[bigheadfred]

Awww, ya'll can keep your gold.

When the SHTF, I'm not trading one of these for any amount of gold.

[Taffini]

bump gold

[blueunicorn6]

Dave....is that you?

[JoeProBono]

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

God put it there. Duh.

[SunkenCiv]

Dave’s not here.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/

[SunkenCiv]

Arrrr, hand over ye beans, arrrr.