Nayakshin explained that as protoplanetary disks feed growing stars with material, they can also nurture infant planets. "Protoplanetary discs are often called nurseries of planets.

Sergei Nayakshin from the University of Leicester, England, points out that this harsh environment — radiation and frequent collisions — would make the planets orbiting supermassive black ...

Mysterious donut-shaped clouds of dust found near some gigantic black holes could be the cosmic remains from violent, high-speed collisions between planets and asteroids, according to a new study ...

But last summer, Sergei Nayakshin of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom proposed a new theory for planetary formation. Known as “tidal downsizing,” it works at a faster pace.

But last summer, Sergei Nayakshin of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom proposed a new theory for planetary formation. Known as "tidal downsizing," it works at a faster pace.

Nayakshin's team believes these stars may have also formed their own planets and asteroids, similar to the objects in our solar system.

Nayakshin’s theory, along with a similar one by Boley and his collaborators, borrows ideas from two more traditional models. In a scenario known as core accretion, bits of solid particles ...

At the heart of most galaxies - including ours - lies a supermassive black hole. Now scientists, led by Dr Sergei Nayakshin of Leicester University, believe that the dust clouds around them is ...

Astronomers say dozens of massive stars, destined for a short but brilliant life, were born less than a light-year away from the Milky Way’s central black hole.

The new work is published in "Are SMBHs shrouded by "Super-Oort" clouds of comets and asteroids?", Nayakshin S., Sazonov S., Sunayev R., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, in press.

The scientists, led by Dr. Sergei Nayakshin of the University of Leicester, publish their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Nayakshin says this critical radius corresponds to the asteroid belt. In other words, these asteroids are construction debris left over from the formation of the inner planets.