SPHERE image of the disc around AB Aurigae

eso_eso2008a May 20th, 2020

Credit: ESO/Boccaletti et al.

This image shows the disc around the young AB Aurigae star, where ESOs Very Large Telescope (VLT) has spotted signs of planet birth. Close to the centre of the image, in the inner region of the disc, we see the twist (in very bright yellow) that scientists believe marks the spot where a planet is forming. This twist lies at about the same distance from the AB Aurigae star as Neptune from the Sun. The image was obtained with the VLTs SPHERE instrument in polarised light.

Provider: European Southern Observatory

Image Source: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2008a/

Curator: European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München, None, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License