What Happens When Two Ice Planets Collide in the Clouds?
It’s long been speculated that planets form from the collision of icy and rocky materials in clouds of dust and gas, but now, scientists have found evidence that collisions between two ice-rich planets can create a dimming effect that could lead to the formation of a new planet. In a new study, researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used computer simulations to show that when two ice-rich planets collide, their combined mass can create a dimming of starlight that could indicate the formation of a new planet. The researchers believe this process could be the cause of the mysterious dimming of starlight that has been observed around some stars.
source: Phys.org