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Image List

CfA Scientists Discover Mysterious Spiral Structures around a "Planet Factory"

  • ALMA image of the planet-forming disk around the young star RU Lup. The inset image (lower left, red disk) shows a previous (DSHARP) observation of the dust disk with rings and gaps that hint at the presence of forming planets. The new observation shows a large spiral structure (in blue), made out of gas, that spans far beyond the compact dust disk.

    ALMA image of the planet-forming disk around the young star RU Lup. The inset image (lower left, red disk) shows a previous (DSHARP) observation of the dust disk with rings and gaps that hint at the presence of forming planets. The new observation shows a large spiral structure (in blue), made out of gas, that spans far beyond the compact dust disk.

    ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), J. Huang and S. Andrews; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello

    Low Resolution Image

  • ALMA image of the planet-forming disk around the young star RU Lup, showing a giant set of spiral arms made out of gas.  The structure extends to nearly 1000 astronomical units from the star.

    ALMA image of the planet-forming disk around the young star RU Lup, showing a giant set of spiral arms made out of gas.  The structure extends to nearly 1000 astronomical units from the star.

    ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), J. Huang; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello

    Low Resolution Image

  • RU Lup is a young, variable star. It is located in Lupus (wolf), a constellation in the Southern Sky. The star is not visible with the naked eye.

    RU Lup is a young, variable star. It is located in Lupus (wolf), a constellation in the Southern Sky. The star is not visible with the naked eye.

    IAU; Sky & Telescope magazine; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello

    Low Resolution Image