  One of the greatest questions for modern physics to address is how elements
heavier than iron are created in extreme, astrophysical environments. A
particularly challenging part of that question is the creation of the so-called
p-nuclei, which are believed to be mainly produced in some types of supernovae.
The lack of needed nuclear data presents an obstacle in nailing down the
precise site and astrophysical conditions. In this work, we present for the
first time measurements on the nuclear level density and average strength
function of $^{92}$Mo. State-of-the-art p-process calculations systematically
underestimate the observed solar abundance of this isotope. Our data provide
stringent constraints on the $^{91}$Nb$(p,{\gamma})^{92}$Mo reaction rate,
which is the last unmeasured reaction in the nucleosynthesis puzzle of
$^{92}$Mo. Based on our results, we conclude that the $^{92}$Mo abundance
anomaly is not due to the nuclear physics input to astrophysical model
calculations.
