Planets May Leave Tracks in Dust

Spitzer_sig05-012_1024

spitzer_sig05-012 September 12th, 2005

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)

Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have gathered the most detailed data yet on a gap in a protoplanetary, or planet-forming, disk surrounding a young star.

This artist's concept illustrates one interpretation of the data, which attributes the disk gap to planet formation. At the center lies a young star that is pulling in material from an inner disk of dust and gas. The gap between this inner disk and the thick outer disk is believed to be occupied by developing gas giant planets. The putative planets prevent the outer disk material from naturally falling in toward the star, thereby creating the gap.

The inner disk is roughly the size of our inner solar system, or the distance between the Sun and Jupiter. The gap would span orbits equivalent to those of Jupiter and Saturn. The Saturn-like rings around the planets hint that they are very young and still surrounded by debris left over from their own formation. (Note: the planets in this illustration are exaggerated in size.)

At the edges of the solar system, the thick disk is expected to coalesce into asteroids, comets and possibly more planets. The bipolar flow, or dim jets of material, shooting out of the star's north and south poles, is a characteristic typical of young stars that are not yet fully formed.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2357-sig05-012-Planets-May-Leave-Tracks-in-Dust

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

View Options

Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Subject - General
Star > Circumstellar Material > Planetary System
Star > Circumstellar Material > Disk > Debris
Star > Circumstellar Material > Disk > Protoplanetary
Spitzer_sig05-012_1280
×
ID
sig05-012
Subject Category
E.3.7.1.   E.3.7.2.3.   E.3.7.2.1.  
Subject Name
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)
Release Date
2005-09-12
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2357-sig05-012-Planets-May-Leave-Tracks-in-Dust
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
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig05-012.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×

There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

Providers | Sign In