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posted by LaminatorX on Saturday November 08 2014, @02:18PM   Printer-friendly
from the birth-of-a-planet dept.

Science Daily brings us - Birth of planets revealed in astonishing detail in ALMA’s 'best image ever'

Astronomers have captured the best image ever of planet formation around an infant star as part of the testing and verification process for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array's (ALMA) new high-resolution capabilities.

This revolutionary new image reveals in astonishing detail the planet-forming disk surrounding HL Tau, a Sun-like star located approximately 450 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus.

ALMA uncovered never-before-seen features in this system, including multiple concentric rings separated by clearly defined gaps. These structures suggest that planet formation is already well underway around this remarkably young star.

"These features are almost certainly the result of young planet-like bodies that are being formed in the disk. This is surprising since HL Tau is no more than a million years old and such young stars are not expected to have large planetary bodies capable of producing the structures we see in this image," said ALMA Deputy Director Stuartt Corder.

The above story is based on materials provided by National Radio Astronomy Observatory

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  • (Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Saturday November 08 2014, @03:31PM

    by hendrikboom (1125) Subscriber Badge on Saturday November 08 2014, @03:31PM (#114049) Homepage Journal

    This.

    Is an impressive technical achievement.

    -- hendrik

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 08 2014, @09:37PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 08 2014, @09:37PM (#114112)

    Like, 2001 Space Odyssey cool.

  • (Score: 2) by hellcat on Sunday November 09 2014, @04:48AM

    by hellcat (2832) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 09 2014, @04:48AM (#114195) Homepage

    It's so freaking incredible that we have the ability to reach back and see our own birth.

    How is it that the rest of society is far more interested in how some singer's caboose looks in a new dress rather than this?

    Please, enlighten me. Or rather, enlighten them?