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Magnesium (Mg) is the element with atomic number 12, symbol Mg. Its most common isotope has mass number 24, but 25 and 26 are also stable. It is the ninth most common element by mass. Its nuclei are synthesized by carbon burning, neon burning, oxygen burning, and the alpha process, in stars and supernovae. Among the places it is detected are stars, the interstellar medium (ISM), and clouds, planetary nebulae.