Astronomers have imaged the largest protoplanetary #disk ever observed around a young #star.

For the first time in visible light, images obtained with #Hubble have revealed the disk is unexpectedly chaotic and turbulent, with wisps of material stretching much farther above and below the disk than seen in any similar system.

#Planet nurseries can be much more active and chaotic than expected.

We’re seeing this disk nearly edge-on and its wispy upper layers and asymmetric features are especially striking. Images from both Hubble and #JWST have revealed similar structures in other disks, but IRAS 23077+6707 provides us with an exceptional perspective — allowing us to trace its substructures in visible light at an unprecedented level of detail.

This makes the system a unique, new laboratory for studying planet formation and the environments where it happens.

#astronomy
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-reveals-largest-found-chaotic-birthplace-of-planets/