A high mass star can fuse elements all of the way up to iron. Unfortunately this is the end of the road, as fusing iron into heavier elements does not release any energy. When a high mass star runs out of fuel (i.e. when all of the elements in the core have fused into iron), the star will collapse and go supernova. It is during supernovas when elements heavier than iron are created. What does this mean? It means that the gold in the ring you are wearing right now (if you are wearing a gold ring) came from an exploding star. Amazing, huh?
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A high mass star can fuse elements all of the way up to iron. Unfortunately this is the end of the road, as fusing iron into heavier elements does not release any energy. When a high mass star runs out of fuel (i.e. when all of the elements in the core have fused into iron), the star will collapse and go supernova. It is during supernovas when elements heavier than iron are created. What does this mean? It means that the gold in the ring you are wearing right now (if you are wearing a gold ring) came from an exploding star. Amazing, huh?