Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · View the paper (DOI)
Astronomers previously believed Fomalhaut b to be a planet, but Hubble observations reveal it may have been a cloud of dust particles from a titanic collision. The object's unusual brightness and trajectory are explained by a massive dust cloud experiencing radiative forces from the central star.
Coverage from 2 institutions
- Hubble observes aftermath of massive collision ESA/Hubble Information Centre · Apr 20, 2020 · first to report
- Exoplanet apparently disappears in latest Hubble observations NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center · Apr 20, 2020