Beta Pictoris Disk Hides Giant Elliptical Ring System
The planetary dust disk around the star Beta Pictoris is dynamically 'ringing like a bell, ' according to astronomers investigating NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images. The 'clapper' is the gravitational wallop of a star that passed near Beta Pictoris some 100, 000 years ago.
Credit:
NASA/ESA and Paul Kalas ( Space Telescope Science Institute)
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo0002b |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 15 January 2000, 15:20 |
| Size: | 271 x 300 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Beta Pictoris, IRAS 05460-5104 |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Planetary System • Stars Images/Videos • Miscellaneous Images/Videos |
| Distance: | 70 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Optical | Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 |
