Final moments of dead planet crashing into a white dwarf seen for the first time

Final moments of dead planet crashing into a white dwarf seen for the first time (Mark Garlick/University of Warwick)

The moment debris from destroyed planets crashes into a dead star has been seen for the first time.

Astronomers at the University of Warwick used X-rays to detect remnants of a planetary system colliding with, and being consumed within, the surface of a white dwarf – a star that has burnt up all of its fuel.