The Sky Tonight

November 03, 2015

Disk gaps don't always signal planets
Boston MA (SPX) Nov 03, 2015
When astronomers study protoplanetary disks of gas and dust that surround young stars, they sometimes spot a dark gap like the Cassini division in Saturn's rings. It has been suggested that any gap must be caused by an unseen planet that formed in the disk and carved out material from its surroundings. However, new research shows that a gap could be a sort of cosmic illusion and not the sign of a hidden planet after all. "If we don't see light scattered from the disk, it doesn't necessarily mean t ... read more

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