{"id":778439,"date":"2024-03-06T20:06:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T01:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=778439"},"modified":"2024-03-06T20:06:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T01:06:51","slug":"see-dozens-of-planet-forming-disks-in-groundbreaking-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=778439","title":{"rendered":"See dozens of planet-forming disks in groundbreaking survey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Survey reveals secrets of planet birth around dozens of stars | ESOcast Light\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pmJb8Ai348c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>Check out the stunning new images of planet-forming disks around young stars. These observations showcase 86 young stars from three gas clouds in our Milky Way galaxy.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A new study looked at 86 young stars<\/strong> and their planet-forming disks in three gas clouds of the Milky Way.<\/li>\n<li><strong>It\u2019s one of the largest surveys of planet-forming disks<\/strong>, showing a wide variety of shapes and sizes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The study showed<\/strong> that multi-star systems were less likely to have large, planet-forming disks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>ESO published this original article on March 5, 2024. Edits by EarthSky.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Survey of planet-forming disks<\/h3>\n<p>The European Southern Observatory said on March 5 that its Very Large Telescope (ESO\u2019s VLT) in Chile has captured images of planet-forming disks, in one of the largest-ever surveys of these disks. The research focused on observations of more than 80 young stars believed to have planets forming around them. The new observations have given astronomers new data and unique insights into how planets might arise in different regions of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.<\/p>\n<p>Christian Ginski of the University of Galway, Ireland, is a lead author of one of three new papers published on March 5, 2024, in <em>Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics<\/em>. Ginski said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>This is really a shift in our field of study. We\u2019ve gone from the intense study of individual star systems to this huge overview of entire star-forming regions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>EarthSky lunar calendars are back in stock! And we\u2019re guaranteed to sell out, so get one while you can. Your support means the world to us and allows us to keep going. Purchase here.<\/p>\n<h3>Planet formation is varied<\/h3>\n<p>To date, astronomers have found more than 5,000 planets orbiting stars other than our sun. And often they\u2019re within systems markedly different from our own solar system. To understand where and how this diversity arises, astronomers must observe the dust- and gas-rich disks that envelop young stars. These are the very cradles of planet formation. And they\u2019re best found in huge gas clouds where the stars themselves are forming.<\/p>\n<p>Much like mature planetary systems, the new images showcase the extraordinary diversity of planet-forming disks. Ginski said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Some of these disks show huge spiral arms, presumably driven by the intricate ballet of orbiting planets.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Antonio Garufi of the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), and lead author of one of the papers, added: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Others show rings and large cavities carved out by forming planets, while yet others seem smooth and almost dormant among all this bustle of activity. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_467781\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-467781\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-467781\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here are 10 of the 86 young stars from the new survey. The stars lie in 3 different star-forming gas clouds inside our Milky Way galaxy. The disks are scaled to appear roughly the same size in this composition. Image via ESO\/ C. Ginski\/ A. Garufi\/ P.-G. Valeg\u00e5rd et al.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Focusing on 3 gas clouds and their planet-forming disks<\/h3>\n<p>The team studied a total of 86 stars across three different star-forming regions of our galaxy. The first two regions are Taurus and Chamaeleon I. Both lie around 600 light-years from Earth. The third is Orion, a gas-rich cloud about 1,600 light-years from us. Scientists already knew it as the birthplace of several stars more massive than the sun. The observations were gathered by a large international team, comprising scientists from more than 10 countries.<\/p>\n<p>The team gleaned several key insights from the data. For example, in Orion they found stars in groups of two or more were less likely to have large planet-forming disks. This is a significant result because most stars in our galaxy have companions. In addition, the uneven appearance of the disks suggests the possibility of massive planets embedded within. This could be what\u2019s causing the disks to warp and become misaligned.<\/p>\n<p>While planet-forming disks can extend for distances hundreds of times greater than the distance between Earth and the sun, their location several hundreds of light-years from us makes them appear as tiny pinpricks in the night sky. So the team used the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research instrument (SPHERE) mounted on ESO\u2019s VLT. SPHERE\u2019s state-of-the-art extreme adaptive optics system corrects for the Earth\u2019s turbulent atmosphere, yielding crisp images of the disks.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the team was able to image disks around stars with masses as low as half the mass of the sun. That size is typically too faint for most other instruments available today. Additional data for the survey were obtained using the VLT\u2019s X-shooter instrument. The X-shooter allowed astronomers to determine how young and how massive the stars are. And the Atacama Large Millimeter\/submillimeter Array (ALMA) helped the team understand more about the amount of dust surrounding some of the stars.<\/p>\n<h3>Images of the 3 gas clouds<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_467784\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-467784\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/03\/Orion-gas-cloud-planet-forming-disks-ESO-P-G-Valegard-et-al-IRAS-e1709649673686.jpg\" alt=\"A gas cloud with wisps in yellow on black and insets showing some of the planet-forming disks inside.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-467784\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-467784\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here\u2019s the gas-rich cloud of Orion, roughly 1,600 light-years from Earth. The Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument mounted on ESO\u2019s Very Large Telescope (VLT) imaged 23 stars in the Orion region, detecting planet-forming disks around 10 of them. The uneven appearance of some of the disks in this region suggests that massive planets are embedded within them, since these could cause the disks to warp and become misaligned. The background image is an infrared view of Orion from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. Image via ESO\/ P.-G. Valeg\u00e5rd et al.\/ IRAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_467785\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-467785\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/03\/Taurus-cloud-planet-forming-disks-ESO-A-Garufi-et-al-IRAS-e1709649807576.jpg\" alt=\"Yellow-brown wisps on a black background with many insets showing planet-forming disks.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-467785\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-467785\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is the Taurus gas cloud, roughly 600 light-years from Earth. SPHERE also captured these 43 stars in the Taurus region. The background image is an infrared view of Taurus captured by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. Image via ESO\/ A.Garufi et al.\/ IRAS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_467786\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-467786\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/03\/Chamaeleon-gas-cloud-planet-forming-disks-ESO-C-Ginski-et-al-ESA-Herschel-e1709649946886.jpg\" alt=\"Yellowy-tan wisps with 14 insets showing planet-forming disks.\" width=\"650\" height=\"722\" class=\"size-full wp-image-467786\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-467786\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The third gas cloud studied was Chamaeleon I, also 600 light-years from Earth. Here, SPEHRE captured 20 stars, detecting disks around 13. The background image is an infrared view of Chamaeleon I captured by the Herschel Space Observatory. Image via ESO\/ C. Ginski et al.\/ ESA\/ Herschel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Deeper images to come<\/h3>\n<p>As technology advances, the team hopes to delve even deeper into the heart of planet-forming systems. The large 39-meter mirror of ESO\u2019s forthcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), for example, will enable the team to study the innermost regions around young stars. These are areas where rocky planets like our own might be forming. <\/p>\n<p>For now, these spectacular images provide researchers with a treasure trove of data to help unpick the mysteries of planet formation. Per-Gunnar Valeg\u00e5rd, of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, led the Orion study. Valeg\u00e5rd hopes the images will inspire his pupils to become scientists in the future and said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>It is almost poetic that the processes that mark the start of the journey towards forming planets and ultimately life in our own solar system should be so beautiful.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Focusing on one of the disks<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_467780\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-467780\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/03\/Planet-forming-disk-composite-ESO-e1709648202790.jpg\" alt=\"Dark center with blue and orange spiral swirls making up a disk shape.\" width=\"800\" height=\"801\" class=\"size-full wp-image-467780\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-467780\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This composite image shows a planet-forming disk in the Taurus region. Yellow represents infrared observations from SPHERE. Blue is from the Atacama Large Millimeter\/submillimeter Array (ALMA). These facilities allow astronomers to map dust distribution around this and other stars in different but complementary ways. SPHERE captures light from the host star that has been scattered by the dust around it; ALMA registers radiation directly emitted by the dust itself. These observations combined help astronomers understand how planets may form in the dusty disks surrounding young stars. Image via ESO\/ A. Garufi et al.\/ R. Dong et al.\/ ALMA (ESO\/NAOJ\/NRAO).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bottom line: A new survey looked at 86 young stars and their planet-forming disks in three gas clouds in our own Milky Way. See them here.<\/p>\n<p>Sources:<\/p>\n<p>The SPHERE view of the Chamaeleon I star-forming region: The full census of planet-forming disks with GTO and DESTINYS programs<\/p>\n<p>The SPHERE view of the Taurus star-forming region: The full census of planet-forming disks with GTO and DESTINYS programs<\/p>\n<p>Disk Evolution Study Through Imaging of Nearby Young Stars (DESTINYS): The SPHERE view of the Orion star-forming region<\/p>\n<p>Via ESO<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"cp-load-after-post\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"post-author\">\n<h4>EarthSky Voices<\/h4>\n<p>                    View Articles\n                  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-tags\">\n<h6 data-udy-fe=\"text_7c58270d\">About the Author:<\/h6>\n<p>Members of the EarthSky community &#8211; including scientists, as well as science and nature writers from across the globe &#8211; weigh in on what&#8217;s important to them.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/86-planet-forming-disks-groundbreaking-survey\/?rand=772280\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Check out the stunning new images of planet-forming disks around young stars. These observations showcase 86 young stars from three gas clouds in our Milky Way galaxy. A new study&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":778440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-778439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-sky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=778439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/778440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=778439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=778439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=778439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}