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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Photo: Far-Flung Space Crash May Help Solve Mystery of Moon's Formation


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An artist's conception shows 2003 EL61, the third largest object in the far-flung region of the solar system known as the Kuiper belt, and two tiny moons.

Astronomers say 2003 EL61 is the remnant of a violent collision that resembled the one that created Earth's moon.

Image by NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)