Asteroids survive dead stars’ crushing gravity in surprisingly large chunks

White dwarf’s intense gravity rips asteroids apart without grinding them into fine dust

Asteroids torn apart near white dwarfs may leave large fragments rather than immediate dust, revealing a missing stage in the evolution of planetary debris.

Asteroids survive dead stars’ crushing gravity in surprisingly large chunks

Asteroids torn apart near dead stars may initially leave chunks hundreds of meters across, rather than immediately turning into dust. A new study identifies a missing stage in the formation of the dusty rings seen around many white dwarfs. The finding matters because this debris offers a glimpse of what happens to planetary systems after […]