Earth is flying through the radioactive ashes of an ancient exploded star, and Antarctic ice preserved the evidence.

Scientists have found new evidence that Earth is moving through a cloud of ancient supernova debris left behind by a long ago stellar explosion. By examining Antarctic ice tens of thousands of years old, researchers detected iron-60, a rare radioactive isotope created when massive stars explode. The findings suggest that the Local Interstellar Cloud surrounding our Solar System contains lingering material from an ancient supernova. The study was led by an international team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and published in Physical Review Letters.

Ancient Supernova Material Reaching Earth.