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PIA13275: Disk Around a Massive Baby Star (Artist's Concept)
Astronomers have obtained the first clear look at a dusty disk closely encircling a massive baby star; this artist's concept shows what such a massive disk might look like.
 Product Size:  4000 x 2666 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  ESO 
 Other  
Information: 		 JPL News Release 2010-275 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA13275.tif (31.99 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA13275.jpg (690 kB)  

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

Astronomers have obtained the first clear look at a dusty disk closely encircling a massive baby star, providing direct evidence that massive stars do form in the same way as their smaller brethren -- and closing an enduring debate. This artist's concept shows what such a massive disk might look like.

The flared disk extends to about 130 times the Earth-sun distance, and has a mass similar to that of the star, roughly twenty times the sun. The inner parts of the disk are shown to be devoid of dust.

Image Credit:
ESO/L. Calçada

Image Addition Date:
2010-07-14