Dust Ring Around Star Offers New Clues Into Planet Formation
A NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope false-color near infrared image of a novel type of structure seen in space - a dust ring around a star. Superficially resembling Saturn's rings -- but on a vastly larger scale -- the 'hula-hoop' around the star called HR 4796A offers new clues into the possible presence of young planets.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9903c |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 8 January 1999, 06:00 |
| Size: | 424 x 424 px |
About the Object
| Name: | HR 4796A |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary • Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Planetary System • Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Disk |
| Distance: | 250 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
| Infrared Near-IR |
1.1 μm | Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS |
