When Asteroids Collide!

Neat. [Link]

When astronomers discovered a mysterious X-shaped object in space last January, they initially thought it was a comet. Further investigation by the Hubble Space Telescope revealed it to be the aftermath of two asteroids smashing into each other.

The discovery of object P/2010 A2 marks the first time astronomers have seen the remains of an asteroid collision; large-scale smash-ups are rare and small collisions can be difficult to spot. Even though astronomers first noticed P/2010 A2 in January, the traces of the collision lingered for months — UCLA astronomer David Jewitt notes that the asteroids' debris fanned out slowly, rather than pinballing across the solar system. Observing the asteroids' remains is incredibly useful, as the objects' deterioration offers insights into the movement of dust throughout space.