Wide-field view of part of the Taurus star formation region

This wide field image shows extensive dust and small clumps of star formation in part of the Taurus star formation region. A faint star at the centre of this picture is the young binary star system HK Tauri. ALMA observations of this system have provided the clearest picture ever of protoplanetary discs in a double star. The new result demonstrates one possible way to explain why so many exoplanets — unlike the planets in the Solar System — came to have strange, eccentric or inclined orbits. This picture was created from images from the Digitized Sky Survey 2.

Credit:

ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin

About the Image

Id:eso1423c
Type:Observation
Release date:30 July 2014, 19:00
Related releases:eso1423
Size:10659 x 10674 px

About the Object

Name:HK Tauri
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Binary
Constellation:Taurus
Category:Stars

Image Formats

Large JPEG
51.0 MB
Screensize JPEG
616.3 KB

Zoomable


Wallpapers

1024x768
435.1 KB
1280x1024
744.1 KB
1600x1200
1.1 MB
1920x1200
1.3 MB
2048x1536
1.8 MB

Coordinates

Position (RA):4 31 50.53
Position (Dec):24° 24' 23.41"
Field of view:178.89 x 179.15 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.6° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Optical
O emulsion
Digitized Sky Survey 2
Optical
B
Digitized Sky Survey 2
Optical
E-emulsion
Digitized Sky Survey 2
Optical
R
Digitized Sky Survey 2