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We report the discovery and monitoring of the near-infrared counterpart(AT2017gfo) of a binary neutron-star merger event detected as a gravitationalwave source by Advanced LIGO/Virgo (GW170817) and as a short gamma-ray burst byFermi/GBM and Integral/SPI-ACS (GRB170817A). The evolution of the transientlight is consistent with predictions for the behaviour of a"kilonova/macronova", powered by the radioactive decay of massive neutron-richnuclides created via r-process nucleosynthesis in the neutron-star ejecta. Inparticular, evidence for this scenario is found from broad features seen inHubble Space Telescope infrared spectroscopy, similar to those predicted forlanthanide dominated ejecta, and the much slower evolution in the near-infraredKs-band compared to the optical. This indicates that the late-time light isdominated by high-opacity lanthanide-rich ejecta, suggesting nucleosynthesis tothe 3rd r-process peak (atomic masses A~195). This discovery confirms thatneutron-star mergers produce kilo-/macronovae and that they are at least amajor - if not the dominant - site of rapid neutron capture nucleosynthesis inthe universe.

The Emergence of a Lanthanide-Rich Kilonova Following the Merger of Two Neutron Stars