Daily Image

05-10-2006
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First image of a proto-planetary disk around a star more massive than the Sun.

Submitter: Jan-Willem Pel
Description: This high-resolution infrared picture (wavelength 8.6 micron) of the disk of dust and gas around the 2.5 solar mass star HD97048 was taken by VISIR and ESO's Very Large Telescope. The disk is large (diameter >370 Earth orbits) and so dense and young (less than 3 million years) that planet formation in the inner parts may be ongoing. VISIR is the infrared imager/spectrometer built by CEA (Saclay, France) and ASTRON for the VLT. For more information see ESO Press Release 36/06.
Copyright: For VISIR team: P.-O. Lagage, CEA, Saclay, France
 
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