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Herschel
Space Observatory

An ESA Mission
with Participation from NASA

Nhsc2013-005b

Cool Disk of Planetary Material

This artist's concept illustrates the planet-forming disk around a young star called TW Hydrae, located about 175 light-years away in the Hydra, or Sea Serpent, constellation. In 2011, astronomers used the Herschel space observatory to detect copious amounts of cool water vapor, illustrated in blue, emanating from the star's planet-forming disk of dust and gas. The water vapor, which probably comes from icy grains in the disk, is located in the frigid outer regions of the star system, where comets will take shape.

Image Details
Date
January 30, 2013
ID
nhsc2013-005b
Type
Observation
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Object Details
Name
TW Hydrae
Subject | Milky Way
Star Circumstellar Material Disk Protoplanetary
Distance
Lightyears 175