Distant Sun-Like Star Hints at Planet Collision
Astronomers analyzing Gaia20ehk, a sun-like star about 11,000 light-years away, observed erratic dimming in visible light with a simultaneous infrared brightening, consistent with a violent collision between two planets that produced hot dust and debris; the event may resemble the Earth–Moon formation, and Rubin Observatory surveys could reveal many more such collisions to illuminate planetary system evolution.