Astronomers Catch a Planetary Collision in Action, Leaving a Hot Debris Glow
TL;DR Summary
Astronomers studying Gaia20ehk (Gaia-GIC-1) observed a star whose visible light dimmed while infrared emission surged, consistent with a hot debris cloud from a recent collision between two planetesimals about 1.1 AU from the star, roughly 11,000 light-years away. The infrared glow persisted for years, offering a rare live glimpse into rocky-planet formation; future monitoring with JWST and the Rubin Observatory could reveal more such impacts.
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