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PIA17249: Disk Patterns Form Without Planets
This image shows the dust density and the growth of structure in a simulated disk, which extends about 100 times farther from its star than Earth's orbit around the sun.
 Product Size:  1280 x 720 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Goddard Space Flight Center 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA17249.tif (2.766 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA17249.jpg (68.87 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:

Debris disks around stars naturally form complex structures without the presence of a planet. This image shows the dust density and the growth of structure in a simulated disk, which extends about 100 times farther from its star than Earth's orbit around the sun. At left, the disk is seen from a 24-degree angle; at right, it's face-on. Lighter colors show greater dust concentrations.

Image Credit:
NASA Goddard/JPL-Caltech

Image Addition Date:
2013-07-12