NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of a massive disk of gas and dust where planets are forming. The object, named IRAS 23077+6707, is located approximately 1,000 light-years from Earth. It is 40 times larger than our Solar System, stretching almost 400 billion miles. This was reported by Mashable, writes UNN.
Details
Astronomers are studying the system from its side profile, which allows for a detailed examination of its internal structure. From this angle, the disk blocks the direct light from the central star, making it appear as a dark band between two bright areas. Researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics unofficially named the object "Dracula's chivito" – after the national Uruguayan sandwich and the origin of one of the study's authors.
Peculiarities of planetary system formation
Telescope data indicate that processes in such "planet nurseries" may be significantly more active and chaotic than previously thought. Scientists have recorded smoky clumps of matter rising high above the main layer of the disk, as well as long filamentous structures extending from only one side of the object.
The shape and brightness of the disk change depending on the wavelength of light at which observations are made. This indicates that different types of cosmic dust are located at different heights. Analyzing the distribution of matter and the size of dust grains will help scientists understand what types of exoplanets and small celestial bodies may form in this system in the future.