October 13, 2023 04:51 pm | Updated 04:51 pm ISTThe afterglow of a massive collision between two giant planets may have been detected for the first time. Giant impacts, as such collisions are known, are thought to be common in the final stages of the formation of planets. In our solar system, giant impacts are thought to be responsible for the odd tilt of Uranus, the high density of Mercury and the existence of Earth’s Moon. However, until now, we had little direct evidence of giant impacts ongoing in the galaxy. If our interpretation of the events is correct, studying this star system could help us understand a key mechanism of planet formation.

Source: The Hindu October 14, 2023 10:44 UTC