Lead Found in Stars Fits With Theory on Elements

Very high levels of lead have been discovered in three distant stars in the Milky Way galaxy by researchers using La Silla Observatory in Chile. The finding supports the long-held view that common stars toward the end of their life produce roughly half of the stable, heavier-than-iron elements in the universe. Lead and other elements are produced when nuclear fusion in a star adds neutrons to the atomic nuclei of lighter elements. Further information: https://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2001/pr-19-01.html .

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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II