Unprecedented Image Of Asteroid Ripped Apart By Dead Star Captured

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Researchers have captured for the first time an image of an asteroid being ripped apart by a dead star and forming a glowing debris ring, according to a University of Warwick study. The image shows gas made by collisions among the debris particles within the ring is illuminated by the ultraviolet rays of the star, which in turn produce a dark red glow.

According to Boris Gansicke, a co-author of the study, "When we discovered this debris disk orbiting the white dwarf back in 2006, we could not have imagined the exquisite details that are now visible in this image, constructed from 12 years of data -- it was definitely worth the wait."