Largest Protoplanetary Disk
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Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Video imagery:
- Hubble Space Telescope image of IRAS 23077+6707: NASA, ESA, STScI, Kristina Monsch (CfA); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
- Protoplanetary disk science simulation: CSA, NASA, A. Kritsuk, M. Norman, A. Boley
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[00:00:00.00] Images of galaxies planets stars and nebulae slide across the screen; a white line moves horizontally across the middle of the screen. Text: News From The Universe.
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[00:00:10.61] Largest Protoplanetary Disk. A sandwiched-shaped protoplanetary disk appears onscreen. A dark, orange and rust colored strip runs along its length while feathery, blue light emanates from either side. Bright orange stars speckle the surrounding space. Text: January 20, 2026. Thanks to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers are now studying the largest protoplanetary disk ever observed around a young star. The disk of gas and cosmic dust obscures the young massive star, or pair of stars, at the core of the system.
[00:00:47.21] Officially named IRAS 23077+6707, the disk spans nearly 400 billion miles (640 billion kilometers) -- 40 times the diameter of our solar system.
[00:01:06.65] Now glowing, orange material swirls clockwise as the center glows a brighter and brighter orange. Text: Astronomers say the disk has enough material that it could potentially form multiple gas giant planets.
[00:01:18.81] Now the orange and blue protoplanetary disk reappears onscreen. Text: Hubble captured an unprecedented level of detail in visible light, revealing the disk as unexpectedly turbulent and a bit lopsided.
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[00:01:33.32] Astronomers say they have only begun to learn about this system and what it can reveal about how planetary systems form from such large, massive disks.
[00:01:49.06] This news was brought to you in part by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD.