NASA/JAXA XRISM Finds Life-Essential Elements in Cassiopeia A

• NASA and JAXA's XRISM mission detected rare, life-essential elements (chlorine and potassium) in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant.
• The discovery, made using high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy, reveals that supernovae produce a more diverse range of elements than previously believed.
• Potassium, essential for life, and chlorine were previously undetected in Cassiopeia A, shedding new light on cosmic chemistry and stellar enrichment of the universe.
• The uneven distribution of these elements within Cassiopeia A suggests complex internal processes in massive stars before their explosion.
• This finding links massive stellar deaths to planetary chemistry, suggesting supernovae seeded planets like Earth with essential elements for life.

Why It Matters: It reveals how stars create elements essential for life on planets.