Astronomers using NASA data Hubble Space Telescope imaged the largest protoplanetary disk ever observed orbiting a young star. For the first time in visible light, Hubble discovered that the disk is unexpectedly chaotic and turbulent, with wisps of material extending much further above and below the disk than astronomers have seen in any similar system. Oddly enough, the more elongated filaments are visible only on one side of the disk. The results, published Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal, mark a new milestone for Hubble and shed light on how planets can form under extreme conditions as NASA missions lead humanity to explore the universe and our place in it.
Located about 1,000 light-years from Earth, IRAS 23077+6707, nicknamed “Dracula's Chivito,” spans nearly 400 billion miles—40 times the diameter of our solar system to the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt of cometary bodies. The disk hides a young star inside, which scientists believe could be either a hot massive star or a pair of stars. And the huge disk is not only the largest known planet-forming disk; it also promises to be one of the most unusual.
“The level of detail we see is rare in images of protoplanetary information, and these new Hubble images show that planetary nurseries may be much more active and chaotic than we expected,” said lead author Christina Monsch of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian (CfA). “We see this disk almost edge-on, and its thin upper layers and asymmetrical features are particularly striking. Both Hubble and NASA James Webb Space Telescope We've seen similar structures in other disks, but IRAS 23077+6707 provides us with an exceptional perspective – allowing us to track its substructures in visible light with an unprecedented level of detail. This makes the system a unique new laboratory for studying planet formation and the environments in which it occurs.”
The nickname “Chivito Dracula” playfully reflects the heritage of its explorers – one from Transylvania, the other from Uruguay, where the national dish is a sandwich called a chivito. The disk, seen edge-on, resembles a hamburger: a dark central band surrounded by luminous upper and lower layers of dust and gas.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the largest planet-forming disk ever observed around a young star. It spans nearly 400 billion miles—40 times the diameter of our solar system.
Image: NASA, ESA, STScI, Christina Monsch (CfA); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Mysterious asymmetry
The impressive height of these objects was not the only thing that attracted the attention of scientists. The new images showed that vertical filament-like structures appear on only one side of the disk, while the other side has a sharp edge and no visible filaments. This distinctive, skewed structure suggests that the disk is shaped by dynamic processes, such as recent ingestion of dust and gas or interaction with the environment.
“We were stunned to see how asymmetrical this disk is,” said study co-author Joshua Bennett Lovell, also a CfA astronomer. “Hubble has given us a front-row seat to the chaotic processes that shape disks to create new planets—processes that we don’t yet fully understand but can now study in entirely new ways.”
All planetary systems are formed from disks of gas and dust surrounding young stars. Over time, gas accumulates on the star, and planets emerge from the remaining material. IRAS 23077+6707 may represent a larger version of our early Solar System, with a disk mass estimated to be 10 to 30 times that of Jupiter—enough material to form several gas giants. This, and new discoveries, make this an exceptional case for studying the birth of planetary systems.
“Theoretically, IRAS 23077+6707 could contain an extensive planetary system,” Monsch said. “Although planet formation may differ in such vast environments, the underlying processes are likely similar. We have more questions than answers right now, but these new images are a starting point for understanding how planets form over time and in different environments.”
The Hubble Space Telescope has been in operation for more than three decades and continues to make groundbreaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is an international cooperation project between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, managed by the Association of Universities for Astronomical Research, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
