A new study shows icy Kuiper Belt objects like Arrokoth likely formed via gentle gravitational collapse, not violent impacts.

A Michigan State University study reveals that icy "snowman" shapes in the Kuiper Belt, like Arrokoth, likely formed through gravitational collapse rather than violent collisions. Using high-resolution simulations, researchers show rotating clouds of dust and pebbles can split and gently merge into contact binaries, preserving their structure. The model, which accounts for material strength, produces realistic snowman-like objects consistent with observations, offering the first physically plausible explanation for their formation.