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Kuiper Belt Collision Found; Possible Comet Source

Posted by Zonk on from the we-really-must-visit-one-day dept.

siglercm writes "Astronomers have detected the remnants of an ancient collision in the Kuiper Belt, the region of bodies found outside of our solar system. The massive impact between a nearly Pluto-sized body and one half as large created a 'collisional family' of objects; this is the first such family identified in the Kuiper Belt. The largest body produced may cross Neptune's orbit in the distant future, but it's possible that smaller objects created by the smash-up have already fallen into the inner solar system as comets."

2 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. What about Pluto? by benhocking · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What about Pluto, Charon, Hydra, and Nix? Couldn't they be such a family?

    --
    Ben Hocking
    Need a professional organizer?
  2. outside? by Feyr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    outside of our solar system? neptune belongs to this solar system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt