photoevaporation tagged posts

Spectacular new observations of vast pillar-like structures within the Carina Nebula have been made using the MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The different pillars analysed by an international team seem to be pillars of destruction — in contrast to the name of the iconic Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, which are of similar nature.

Spectacular new observations of vast pillar-like structures within the Carina Nebula have been made using the MUSE instrument on ESO’s VLT. The different pillars analysed by an international team seem to be pillars of destruction—in contrast to the name of the iconic Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, which are of similar nature...

Planetary disk around the star known as TW Hydrae. Credit: S. Andrews (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA); B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

The dusty disk surrounding star TW Hydrae exhibits circular features that may signal the formation of protoplanets. An astrophysicist argues, however, that the innermost actually points to the impending dispersal of the disk. When the maps appeared at the end of March, experts were electrified. The images revealed an orange-red disk pitted with circular gaps: a detailed portrait of a protoplanetary disk, made up of gas and dust grains, associated with a young star – the kind of structure out of which planets could be expected to form...