Asteroid Ripped Apart to Form Star's Glowing Ring System (1 of 3) (IMAGE)

University of Warwick

Asteroid Ripped Apart to Form Star's Glowing Ring System (1 of 3)

Caption

An asteroid torn apart by the strong gravity of a white dwarf has formed a ring of dust particles and debris orbiting the Earth-sized burnt out stellar core. Gas produced by collisions within the disc is detected in observations obtained over twelve years with ESO's Very Large Telescope, and reveal a narrow glowing arc.

Credit

Mark Garlick/University of Warwick

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