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Debris Ring Around Star Fomalhaut (HD 216956)

Debris Ring Around Star Fomalhaut (HD 216956)

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    22h 57m 39.04s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -29° 37' 20.04"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Piscis Austrinus
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    25 light-years away (7.7 parsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    The ring is approximately 280AU (42 billion kilometers, 26 billion miles) in diameter.

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    The Hubble image was created from HST data from proposals 9862 and 10390: P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley), M. Clampin (NASA/GSFC), and J.R. Graham (University of California, Berkeley).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>ACS/HRC
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    May, August, October, 2004, Total Exposure Time: 3.6 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F606W (V), F814W (I)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Fomalhaut, HD 216956
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Star with Disk
  • Release Date
    June 22, 2005
  • Science Release
    Elusive Planet Reshapes a Ring Around Neighboring Star
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, P. Kalas and J. Graham (University of California, Berkeley) and M. Clampin (NASA/GSFC)

Downloads

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  • 200 × 200
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  • 300 × 297
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Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Debris Ring Around Star Fomalhaut (HD 216956)

Debris Ring Around Star Fomalhaut (HD 216956)

The top view, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, is the first visible-light image of a dust ring around the nearby, bright young star Fomalhaut (HD 216956). The image offers the strongest evidence yet that an unruly planet may be tugging on the dusty belt. The left part of...

Constellation Location

Constellation Location

The star Fomalhaut ("Mouth of the Fish"), 13 times the brightness of the Sun, resides in the constellation, Piscis Austrinus, or the Southern Fish.

Fomalhaut Ring Schematic

Fomalhaut Ring Schematic

Hubble observations show that the bright star Fomalhaut is off-center from its surrounding ring of dust, most likely because of a planet orbiting the star and shepherding the ring material.

Fomalhaut Ring System – Size Comparison with Solar System

Fomalhaut Ring System – Size Comparison with Solar System

A bird's-eye comparison of the Fomalhaut ring with our solar system. In this graphic, Fomalhaut's ring, about 25 billion miles across its inner diameter, is compared with our inner and outer solar system.

Fomalhaut Ring Artwork

Fomalhaut Ring Artwork

This illustration shows a ring of debris encircling the star Fomalhaut. The suspected planet is orbiting inside the ring.

Fomalhaut Ring Artwork – Annotated

Fomalhaut Ring Artwork – Annotated

This illustration of a ring of debris encircling the star Fomalhaut shows the putative planet orbiting inside the ring. In this picture, the background stars and constellations are identified. This is not the same view we would see from Earth, because Fomalhaut is 25 light-years...

Debris Ring Around a Star: Annotated

Debris Ring Around a Star: Annotated

Simulation of Fomalhaut Planet and Ring – Face-on

Simulation of Fomalhaut Planet and Ring – Face-on

Simulation of a planet and debris ring around the star Fomalhaut. The planet, in an eccentric orbit causes the center of the ring to be offset from the star. This animation is based on research by the independent research team of Adam Deller and Sarah Maddison (Swinburne Center...

Simulation of Fomalhaut Planet and Ring – Inclined

Simulation of Fomalhaut Planet and Ring – Inclined

Simulation of a planet and debris ring around the star Fomalhaut. The planet, in an eccentric orbit causes the center of the ring to be offset from the star. This animation is based on research by the independent research team of Adam Deller and Sarah Maddison (Swinburne Center...

Simulation of Fomalhaut Planet and Ring – Face-on and Inclined

Simulation of Fomalhaut Planet and Ring – Face-on and Inclined

Simulation of a planet and debris ring around the star Fomalhaut. The planet, in an eccentric orbit causes the center of the ring to be offset from the star. This animation is based on research by the independent research team of Adam Deller and Sarah Maddison (Swinburne Center...

Fomalhaut Debris Ring (Annotated)

Fomalhaut Debris Ring (Annotated)

The Hubble image of the Fomalhaut debris ring, adding descriptive labeling and dissolving into the animated model simulation.

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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