Overview
- The peer-reviewed analysis by Anastasios Tzanidakis and James R. A. Davenport was published March 11 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
- Gaia20ehk, a main-sequence star about 11,000 light-years away in Puppis, showed three brightness dips starting in 2016 followed by extreme variability around 2021.
- Infrared emission rose as visible light dimmed, a pattern the authors interpret as hot impact debris passing in front of the star.
- The debris appears to orbit at roughly one astronomical unit, drawing comparisons to the giant impact thought to have formed Earth’s moon, though the long-term outcome remains uncertain.
- Researchers plan continued monitoring, and they say the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s upcoming survey could uncover many more such collisions over the next decade.