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Astronomers find evidence of two planets colliding (Level A1) — an image of a very large star in the sky

Astronomers find evidence of two planets collidingCEFR A1

31 Mar 2026

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Adapted from U. Washington, Futurity • CC BY 4.0

Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope, Unsplash

Level A1 – Beginner
2 min
77 words
  • Astronomers checked old telescope data from 2020.
  • They noticed a distant star that began to flicker.
  • Large amounts of rocks and dust blocked its light.
  • The light from the star dipped many times.
  • Scientists think two planets probably hit each other.
  • A final big collision made much heat and debris.
  • The cloud now orbits the star at a similar distance.
  • Some scientists compare the event to an ancient impact.
  • New telescopes may find more of these impacts.

Difficult words

  • astronomer — a person who studies stars and space
    Astronomers
  • telescope — a tool to make distant things look closer
    telescopes
  • debris — small broken pieces left after a collision
  • collision — a violent hit between two objects in space
  • orbit — to move around another object in space
    orbits
  • flicker — to shine not steadily; light goes on and off

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Do you like to look at the stars?
  • Have you ever used a telescope?
  • Do you want to learn more about space?

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