Spiral Arms Around SAO 206462
October 23, 2011
Two spiral arms emerge from the gas-rich disk around SAO 206462, a young star in the constellation Lupus. This image, acquired by the Subaru Telescope and its HiCIAO instrument, is the first to show spiral arms in a circumstellar disk. The disk itself is some 14 billion miles across, or about twice the size of Pluto's orbit in our own solar system. (Credit: NAOJ/Subaru)
Topics:
Circumstellar disk, Nebulae, Planetary systems, Environment, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Pluto, Circumstellar discs, Subaru, Solar System
