A Ring of Dust Encircling a Star
Astrophotography・
| Telescope | ALMA, Hubble Space Telescope |
|---|---|
| Wavelength | submillimeter waves (wavelength 870 microns), visible light |
| Camera | ALMA Band 7 receiver, HST Advanced Camera for Surveys |
| Copyright | ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO). Visible light image: the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Acknowledgements: A.C. Boley (University of Florida, Sagan Fellow), M.J. Payne, E.B. Ford, M. Shabran (University of Florida), S. Corder (North American ALMA Science Center, National Radio Astronomy Observatory), W. Dent (ALMA, Chile), P. Kalas, J. Graham, E. Chiang, E. Kite (University of California, Berkeley), M. Clampin (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), M. Fitzgerald (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), K. Stapelfeldt and J. Krist (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) |
ALMA and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observed a ring of dust around Fomalhaut, a 1st magnitude star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. ALMA’s observational results are shown in orange (data for the upper right half of the image only) and the HST results are shown in blue. A detailed analysis of ALMA’s results revealed that the dust ring is maintained in an extremely narrow area. It is thought that undiscovered planets exist on the inside and outside of the ring and their gravity is shepherding the ring into shape.
For more information please refer to the press release “Apr 12, 2012 ALMA Reveals Workings of Nearby Planetary System”
Author: Masaaki Hiramatsu (NAOJ Chile Observatory)