Protoplanetary Disk

Spitzer_sig16-009_1024

spitzer_sig16-009 April 26th, 2016

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

This illustration shows a star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk. Material from the thick disk flows along the stars magnetic field lines and is deposited onto the stars surface. When material hits the star, it lights up brightly.

The star's irregular illumination allows astronomers to measure the gap between the disk and the star by using a technique called "photo-reverberation" or "light echoes." First, astronomers look at how much time it takes for light from the star to arrive at Earth. Then, they compare that with the time it takes for light from the star to bounce off the inner edge of the disk and then arrive at Earth. That time difference is used to measure distance, as the speed of light is constant.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6193-sig16-009-Protoplanetary-Disk

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Spitzer_sig16-009_1280
×
ID
sig16-009
Subject Category
Subject Name
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)
Release Date
2016-04-26
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6193-sig16-009-Protoplanetary-Disk
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig16-009.tif
Metadata Date
2017-03-13
Metadata Version
1.2
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