images

Exoplanet forming

by

Ron Miller/Novapix

Reference

a-exo99-40080

Date

2017-01-08

Planets, including those like our own Earth, form from epic collisions between asteroids and even bigger bodies, called proto-planets. Sometimes the colliding bodies are ground to dust, and sometimes they stick together to ultimately form larger, mature planets. This artist's conception shows one such smash-up.