Submitted by Party_9001 t3_zkuihq in askscience
Connect_Eye_5470 t1_j04phze wrote
It would vary pretty widely on at least two factors.
1.) Ratio of relevant mass i.e. a white dwarf flung away from a multi-stellar system runs into a massive O-type Giant star (say 150+ stellar masses). Likely it never actually collides. The incredible difference in their gravitational fields would tend to force the incoming dwarf into a decaying orbit rather than a 'whammo'. Then the massive star would just 'eat' the smaller one.
2.) Angle of the collision. A good example of this is Luna (our moon) vs an asteroid belt or ring formation around a planet. If two stars of approximately equal size hit head on? Yeah whether the 'explosion' destroyed that solar syatem or not the gravitic disruptions would almost certainly either fling off the planetary bodies as rogues or would suck them in and vaporize them.
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