Tag

Celestial Encounters

All articles tagged with #celestial encounters

science-and-technology2 years ago

Unveiling the Cosmic Curveball: Simulations Reveal Origins of Barringer Crater

A study published in the journal Physical Review E suggests that fast-spinning asteroids may have created wide and shallow impact craters, such as Arizona's Barringer Crater. The study found that loosely-bound clumpy asteroids with curveball-like spins tend to produce craters that are wider and shallower compared to slower-spinning asteroids. The research focused on the spin and clumpiness of asteroids, using simulations to investigate their impact on the formation of craters. The findings provide insights into the diversity of crater shapes and how different types of craters are formed.

astronomy2 years ago

Possible Captured Planets Found in Oort Cloud.

A new study suggests that planetary systems don't always form in isolation, and there could be captured planets in the Oort Cloud. The team ran computer simulations and found that the gravitational tug of the galaxy itself can dampen the motion of a rogue planet, and thus a small fraction of celestial encounters will see a star catch the planet and claim it as a new world. Based on their calculations, up to 10% of a star's original planets could be cast adrift into deep space, and there is about a 7% chance that our solar system has a captured ice giant planet in the Oort cloud.