Dusty Wisps of a Planet-Forming Disc (IRAS 04302)
Dusty Wisps of a Planet-Forming Disc (IRAS 04302)
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In a dark cloud within the Taurus star-forming region about 525 light-years away, a young star known as IRAS 04302+2247 offers astronomers a rare edge-on view of a planet-forming disk. This dense, dark band of gas and dust stretches roughly 65 billion kilometers across, several times wider than our Solar System, and blocks light from the protostar at its center.
The star’s light escapes above and below the disk, reflecting off surrounding material to form two glowing nebulae that resemble wings, earning it the nickname “the Butterfly Star.”
Webb’s infrared instruments, combined with Hubble’s optical data, reveal the fine structures of this vast disk and the processes shaping it. Studying systems like IRAS 04302 helps scientists understand how stars and planets, including those in our own Solar System, first began to form billions of years ago.
Image courtesy of NASA, ESA/Webb
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