SAO 206462

SAO 206462 is a young star, surrounded by a circumstellar disk of gas and spirals arms clearly defined. It is situated 400 years-light away from Earth in the constellation of the Wolf (Lupus).^[1] The presence of these spirals arms seems to be related with the existence of planets inside the disk of gas surrounding the star. The disk's diameter is about twice the size of the orbit of Pluto.^[2]

Discovery

The discovery was presented in October of 2011 by Carol Grady, astronomer of Eureka Scientific, that possesses his headquarters in the Centre Goddard for Space Flights, at NASA, being the first of this class that exhibit a high degree of clarity. It was made using several space telescopes (Hubble, FUSE, Spitzer) and earth telescopes (observatory Gemini and telescope Subaru, situated in Hawaii), through an international program of research of young stars and of stars with planets. A number of astronomers of different observatories collaborated.^[3]

References

1. ↑ La NASA capta una fotografía de SAO 206462, la primera estrella con forma espiral. Informe21.com, 3 November 2011
2. ↑ http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/31oct_spiralarms/ 31 October 2011. Nasa Science.
3. ↑ REVEALING THE STRUCTURE OF A PRE-TRANSITIONAL DISK: THE CASE OF THE HERBIG F STAR SAO 206462 (HD 135344B). C.A. Grady et al. The Astrophysical Journal 699 (2009) 1822. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/699/2/1822