I recently visited the ALMA observatory in Chile. While I was poking around the telescopes, ALMA researchers released amazing new views of planet-forming disks around young stars. These are the most detailed images yet of new solar systems being born. 🧪🔭 public.nrao.edu/news/exoalma/ - ThreadSky

coreyspowell.bsky.social • 11 days ago

I recently visited the ALMA observatory in Chile. While I was poking around the telescopes, ALMA researchers released amazing new views of planet-forming disks around young stars.

These are the most detailed images yet of new solar systems being born. 🧪🔭

https://public.nrao.edu/news/exoalma/

Comments

coreyspowell.bsky.social•11 days ago

By tuning in to different microwave frequencies, ALMA can create snapshots of different components of the disks that surround newborn stars.

For the first time, we can see the swirls and waves that turn clouds of gas and dust into worlds like our own. 🧪🔭

https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/press-releases/exoalma-survey-reveals-incredible-images-of-structures-in-protoplanetary-disks/

coreyspowell.bsky.social•11 days ago

In a related study, the ALMA observatory finds hints of planets being born around stars in our galaxy's "central molecular zone." This region is dense and turbulent, with a supermassive black hole at the center -- yet planets seem to be forming there anyway. 🧪🔭

https://www.uni-koeln.de/en/university/news/news/news-detail/a-multitude-of-protoplanetary-discs-detected-in-the-galactic-centre

coreyspowell.bsky.social•10 days ago

These amazing ALMA findings come from an international partnership with significant support from the National Science Foundation.

Please call your representatives to voice support for science funding across the board, from vital health to eye-opening exploration. 🧪

https://www.nsf.gov/news/decade-unveiling-hidden-universe-alma-10

johnehagan.bsky.social•11 days ago

All different I know but can you say How far away/long ago they are?

firepi.bsky.social•11 days ago

The 3rd one (from left) looks a lot like my irises. Who knew?! Wow! Thanks for sharing.

jetbuzz.bsky.social•11 days ago

Thanks Corey!

cdbrow1.bsky.social•11 days ago

Dibs.

toddlingpossum.bsky.social•10 days ago

Those are stellar baby pictures. Thank you for sharing them

jetbuzz.bsky.social•11 days ago

Fantastic! 👏👏

alexjs.dev•11 days ago

Do we know the scale? Are those all way bigger than our Oort cloud? In some it looks like you can see rings where planets might be clearing out an orbit, or maybe I'm misinterpreting. Will the planets end up mostly in the center and the rest is debris?

shaidorsai.bsky.social•11 days ago

The scale on the second set of images suggests that the inset disk has a radius of ~800-900AU (depending on inclination). That would be (barely) inside the hypothesized inner border of the Oort Cloud, wouldn't it?

coreyspowell.bsky.social•10 days ago

The research papers contain more detailed interpretations of the images. This one (showing disk RXJ1604) gives a better sense of the scale. We're mostly seeing the outer regions of the disk; the inner zone here is similar to the inner edge of the Kuiper Belt.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adc43b

shaidorsai.bsky.social•11 days ago

I remember reading speculation and theories about protoplanetary disks, and to be able to find and image them is so incredible to me.

This is an age of wonders for astronomy, it feels...

lincard1000.bsky.social•11 days ago

Quite awe inspiring, isn't it? :-)

shaidorsai.bsky.social•11 days ago

It's literally the dreams of childhood astronomy coming true!

rnmay.bsky.social•10 days ago

I hope their inhabited planets turn out better than we did.

izifizi.bsky.social•11 days ago

📌

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