Tag Archive for 'Planetesimal'

Artist’s illustration depicting the destruction of a young planet. Image credit: NASA / CXC / M.Weiss.

Young Star Caught Snacking on Planetary Debris

Jul 19, 2018 by News Staff

For decades, astronomers have puzzled over the variability of young stars residing in Taurus-Auriga dark clouds, a group of molecular clouds located in...

This artist’s concept shows a young planetary system. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Inner Main-Belt Asteroids Are Remnants of Few Ancient Minor Planets, Study Shows

Jul 4, 2018 by News Staff

According to new research, at least 85% of 200,000 asteroids in the inner asteroid belt — the main source of Earth’s meteorites — originate...

Marchi et al modeled the protracted period of bombardment after the Moon formed, determining that impactor metals may have descended into Earth’s core. This artistic rendering illustrates a large impactor crashing into the young Earth. Light brown and gray particles indicate the projectile’s mantle (silicate) and core (metal) material, respectively. Image credit: Southwest Research Institute.

Large Planetesimals Delivered More Mass to Proto-Earth than Previously Thought

Dec 5, 2017 by News Staff

After the Moon’s formation, Earth experienced a protracted bombardment by large (over 1,500 km in diameter) planetesimals. Dr. Simone Marchi, a researcher...

Artist’s impression of the terrestrial exoplanet Gliese 667 Cb with the Gliese 667 A/B binary in the background. Image credit: L. Calçada / ESO.

Rocky Exoplanets around Binary Stars May Be Widespread, Astrophysicists Say

Mar 30, 2015 by News Staff

According to astrophysicists Dr Scott Kenyon of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Dr Ben Bromley of the University of Utah, terrestrial, Earth-like...

This is an artist impression of the protoplanetary disk around HD 107146. Image credit: A. Angelich / NRAO / AUI / NSF.

Astronomers Discover Hundreds of Pluto-Size Objects Orbiting Star HD 107146

Dec 12, 2014 by News Staff

U.S. astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have discovered an entire family of Pluto-size planetesimals around a nearby young...

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