Astronomers Catch a Planetary Collision in Action, Leaving a Hot Debris Glow
TL;DR
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.
- Astronomers Just Watched Two Planets Vaporize Each Other 11,000 Light-Years from Earth The Daily Galaxy
- 'Completely Bonkers': Astronomers Think They Saw Two Planets Collide ScienceAlert
- "It went completely bonkers..." Astronomers witness two planets colliding around a distant star BBC Sky at Night Magazine
- 'Completely bonkers': Astronomers find evidence of a cataclysmic collision between exoplanets Space
- Exceptionally rare sighting of planets colliding may shed light on the crash that formed the moon Live Science
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The Daily Galaxy