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MYSTERIOUS AFTERGLOW POTENTIALLY CAUSED BY MASSIVE COLLISION OF PLANETS

BBC Science Focus

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November 2023

Scientists have a probable cause for the unexplained brightness

MYSTERIOUS AFTERGLOW POTENTIALLY CAUSED BY MASSIVE COLLISION OF PLANETS

A peculiar which blaze of light, has stumped researchers for over four years, was likely produced by the collision of two ice giant exoplanets, according to a new study.

These planets could have been similar in size to Neptune and Uranus - the ice giants in our Solar System according to the study published in Nature.

An initial observation by an astronomy enthusiast saw the brightness double around a Sun-like star approximately 1,800 light-years from Earth. The brightness began to fade three years later.

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