HD 17255 star system tagged posts

Astronomers Detect Signs of an Atmosphere Stripped from a Planet in a Giant Impact

Illustration showing a glowing, fiery planet impacting a larger gray planet
An MIT-led team has discovered evidence of a giant impact in the nearby HD 17255 star system, in which an Earth-sized terrestrial planet and a smaller impactor likely collided at least 200,000 years ago, stripping off part of one planet’s atmosphere.
Credits:Image: Mark A. Garlick

Young planetary systems generally experience extreme growing pains, as infant bodies collide and fuse to form progressively larger planets. In our own solar system, the Earth and moon are thought to be products of this type of giant impact. Astronomers surmise that such smashups should be commonplace in early systems, but they have been difficult to observe around other stars.

Now astronomers at MIT, the National University of Ireland at Galway, Cambridge University, and elsewhere have discovered evidence...

Read More