Figure 9-12 RIVUXG Collisions Between Two Asteroids (a) Observed in 2010, this X-shaped “object” (inset) is believed to be the collision of an asteroid about 125 m in diameter with a smaller piece of debris, perhaps 10 m across. The event created dust that was pushed away from the Sun, which is to the left and below this image. The collision occurred 2 AU from the Sun and 1 AU from Earth. (b) Seen the same year, asteroid Scheila, about 110 km across, was struck by an asteroid about 30 m across.