According to Dr Dimitris Stamatellos, reader in astrophysics at the University of Central Lancashire, new planets that form around stars have flattened shapes rather like Smarties.
There are chocolate ones, yellow ones, green ones and even blue ones depending on the chemical constituency of the planet. Just like real Smarties.
Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm and a major axis of about 12 mm. Pretty small for a planet.
Australian confectionery expert Bill "Spangles" Heslop told FNN:
I used to love Rowntrees Smarties in their cardboard tube. The things you could do with that tube.
But then they were taken over by Nestle and they've never been the same since. A bit like what happened to Victory V's, Horlicks and many other staple foodstuffs.
Hey Muriel! Fetch me a tinnie. I'm parched.