An unexpected revelation by an amateur astronomy enthusiast on social media has led to the groundbreaking discovery of a catastrophic collision between two icy exoplanets. The intense aftermath of the cosmic clash, occurring 1,800 light years away around a sun-like star, resulted in a captivating blaze and expansive dust clouds.
Artist's impression of the huge, glowing planetary body produced by a collision-Image Source: Sky News
These astronomical phenomena were initially observed through the dimming of star ASASSN-21qj. Experts have deduced that this dimming is attributable to the extensive dust clouds resulting from the planetary collision, obstructing the star’s light.
Dust cloud from two colliding ice planets dims light of parent star. Paper by Matthew Kenworthy et al. in @Nature.
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Interestingly, the star’s brightness showed significant enhancement over a span of a thousand days prior to the noticeable dimming. This intriguing anomaly was the pivotal point that caught the attention of the amateur astronomer on a social platform.
Dr. Matthew Kenworthy of Leiden University expressed his astonishment at the discovery, noting its “unusual” nature. The star was subsequently dubbed ASASSN-21qj, paying homage to the telescope network that first identified its dimming at visible wavelengths.
Collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers have resulted in in-depth studies of the star’s varying brightness, and the name ASASSN-21qj has been attributed to it, following the observatory network that first identified the star’s fading at visible wavelengths.
Dr. Simon Lock, a co-lead author from the University of Bristol, elaborated on the computational models and calculations. “Our assessments indicate that the persistent glow and the characteristics of the shining materials are consistent with a collision between two ice giant exoplanets.”
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Initial Discovery | Star ASASSN-21qj’s dimming due to planetary collision. |
| Location | 1,800 light years away around a sun-like star. |
| Key Observation | Star brightened for a thousand days before dimming. |
| Research Lead | Dr. Matthew Kenworthy (Leiden University) |
| Findings | Collision of two icy giant exoplanets. |
| Post-Collision Forecast | New planet formation with orbiting moons. |
| Observation Tools | Ground-based telescopes & NASA’s JWST. |
Following this dramatic event, experts forecast the sprawling dust cloud to disperse along the collision remnant’s orbit. This remnant is anticipated to morph into a new planet, with its surrounding materials coalescing to form a group of orbiting moons, as detailed by Dr. Zoe Leinhardt, another co-lead author from the University of Bristol.
Astronomers are gearing up to closely observe the subsequent developments, with potential detections from ground-based telescopes and NASA’s acclaimed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
