["Their computer models predict planetary motions into the distant future and they find a small probability for collisions of Mercury with Earth or Venus sometime in the next billion years or more," Henry said.]

---That may only be when our sun starts to expand, and even then it would be a "small probability".

"Prof Zuckerman noted, however, that collisions have occurred in our solar system's past."

---Of course they have.

"Many astronomers believe our moon was formed from the grazing collision of two planetary embryos, the young Earth and a body about the size of Mars, a crash that created tremendous debris, some of which condensed to form the moon and some of which went into orbit around the young sun," he said.]

I agree with him on that one, although I still find it odd that there's no remnant ring, but here we are.

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Another take on that one here.

Very cool: BD +20 307 With an intrieging bombardment episode all it's own, apparently. Also interesting is that at the MSNBC article, they mentioned that the star was a recently found to be a binary, so that may have had a great deal to do with it.

More: here.