126-planetesimals-dixon - This astronomical illustration visualizes the chaotic environment of the early solar system during the accretion phase of planetary formation. In the center-right foreground, a large planetesimal undergoes a violent fragmentation event, its rocky crust splitting apart to reveal a glowing, molten interior under energetic impact. The surrounding space is filled with dense debris disks, smaller rocky bodies, and cosmic dust clouds, all illuminated by the bright, hazy glare of the young, active proto-Sun visible in the background. ; acrylic and gouache 1985
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