An explosion on the surface of a dying star has is helping to clear up a mystery behind copious amounts of lithium seen in the universe.

By studying Nova Delphini 2013 (V339 Del), astronomers were able to detect a precursor to lithium, making the first direct detection of the third lightest element whose abundance had long remained in the theoretical realm.

"There have been no direct observational evidence for lithium production in novae before our result," lead author Akito Tajitsu, of the National Observatory of Japan, told Space.com via email. "But many scientists made predictions about it."