It’s a familiar sight—the twinkling of stars in a night sky. But new research has shown that this twinkling is more than a beautiful effect—it’s a powerful force of nature that can help interstellar dust particles coalesce into larger solid objects.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, researchers provide evidence that small dust particles in space can be pushed and pulled by the twinkling of stars to form larger dust particles. The research team used powerful computer simulations to demonstrate that when stars twinkle, the resulting fluctuations in radiation pressure can cause dust particles to move closer together, leading to the formation of larger, denser dust particles. This process is known as radiation pressure clustering.

The findings of this study offer a new insight into how planets, comets, and asteroids form in space. According to the team, radiation pressure clustering could help explain why some stars have more dust and debris around them than others, and why some stars have more planets in orbit than others.

This research provides an exciting new way to understand the formation of stars and planets, and could lead to further discoveries about our universe.

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source: Phys.org