Elements detected in HD 222925 totalling 65 with 42 coming from the r-process (31 ≤ Z ≤ 92) . Elements with no long-lived isotopes are indicated using the light gray font.[1]
HD 222925 has been referred to as the 'gold standard star' by the media.[8] In 2022, astronomers from the
University of Michigan identified 65 elements in the star (including gold), a turning point to help the scientific community understand the
rapid neutron capture process.[9] The elements were produced in a massive
supernova or a merger of
neutron stars early in the universe, and it was ejected into space where it later reformed into the current star.[10]
Gallery
Wavelength for each element detected by atomic number with each spectral line represented as a dot. A gap between ≈3145 Å and ≈3330 Å reflecting an atmospheric cutoff between
STIS and
MIKE spectra.[1]
This mosaic shows two
GHOST spectra of HD 222925.[11]
^Houk, Nancy (1975). Michigan catalogue of two-dimensional spectral types for the HD stars. Vol. 1. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Dept. of Astronomy, University of Michigan.
Bibcode:
1975mcts.book.....H.