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Astrophysicists Discover Exocomet Belts Around 74 Nearby Stars

1/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Astrophysicists at Trinity College Dublin have unveiled stunning images of exocomet belts surrounding 74 nearby stars, showcasing a variety of structures. Through the REASONS study, they employed ALMA and SMA telescopes to explore these icy regions, vital for planetary systems. Remarkably, their findings reveal that exocomets collide to create pebbles, with belts present in over 20% of systems.

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Story summary

Astrophysicists at Trinity College Dublin have unveiled stunning images of exocomet belts surrounding 74 nearby stars, showcasing a variety of structures. Through the REASONS study, they employed ALMA and SMA telescopes to explore these icy regions, vital for planetary systems. Remarkably, their findings reveal that exocomets collide to create pebbles, with belts present in over 20% of systems.