The discussion centers on the hypothetical scenario of the Sun colliding with an identical star. Key points include that the outcome of such a collision would depend on various factors such as the velocities and angles of the stars involved. If the stars do not merge, they may either explode or have minimal effects on surrounding planets. The conversation highlights the rarity of such events, as stellar collisions typically occur in binary star systems, with the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, located approximately 4.25 light years away.
PREREQUISITESAstronomy enthusiasts, astrophysicists, and students studying stellar dynamics and cosmic events will benefit from this discussion.
I did a Google search on:GiantSheeps said:I can't find any information online
berkeman said:I did a Google search on:
When stars collide
and got lots of good hits, including a Wikipedia article. Have you already been through that hit list?
anorlunda said:It would depend on velocities and on how direct/glancing the collision was. Two stars might merge or they might not. Ditto for the planets, effects range from minimal to destruction depending on the velocity and angle of the second star, plus the direct hit/glancing hit extent of a collision.
I don't see any significant difference between two sun-size stars or two exact copies.