distant star tagged posts

Rings around Young Star suggest Planet Formation in progress

An ALMA image of the star HD 163296 and its protoplanetary disk as seen in dust. New observations suggested that two planets, each about the size of Saturn, are in orbit around the star. These planets, which are not yet fully formed, revealed themselves in the dual imprint they left in both the dust and the gas portions of the star’s protoplanetary disk. (Credit: ALMA [ESO/NAOJ/NRAO]/Andrea Isella/B. Saxton [NRAO/AUI/NSF]) - See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2016/12/12/rings-around-young-star-suggest-planet-formation-in-progress/#sthash.pbHZ2cMD.dpuf

An ALMA image of the star HD 163296 and its protoplanetary disk as seen in dust. New observations suggested that two planets, each about the size of Saturn, are in orbit around the star. These planets, which are not yet fully formed, revealed themselves in the dual imprint they left in both the dust and the gas portions of the star’s protoplanetary disk. (Credit: ALMA [ESO/NAOJ/NRAO]/Andrea Isella/B. Saxton [NRAO/AUI/NSF])

Rice University astronomers and colleagues have for the first time mapped gases in 3 dark rings around a distant star. The rings mark spaces where planets are thought to have formed from dust and gas around the star...

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