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Disk of Debris Around Red Dwarf Star AU Microscopii

Disk of Debris Around Red Dwarf Star AU Microscopii

A visible-light image of a debris disk around the red dwarf star AU Microscopii. Planets may be forming, or might already exist, within it. The disk glows in starlight reflected by tiny grains of dust created by the collisions of asteroids and comets. Because it is composed of the pulverized remnants of these objects, it is called a "debris disk." More than 40 billion miles across, it appears like a spindle of light because we view it nearly edge on (like looking at a dinner plate along its side). The star is about 12 million years old and is only 32 light-years from Earth. This makes its disk the closest yet seen in reflected starlight. It is also the first disk imaged around an M-type red dwarf, the most common type of star in the stellar neighborhood around the Sun. The Hubble Space Telescope images, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) reveal that the disk has been cleared of dust within about a billion miles of the star (first indicated from infrared-light measurements).

The ACS images confirm that the disk is warped and has small variations in dust density that, along with the central clearing, may be caused by the tugging of an unseen companion, perhaps a large planet. ACS shows that this is the only debris disk known that appears bluer than the star it surrounds. This may indicate that there are more small grains of dust, compared to large ones, than has been seen before in other such disks. Smaller grains scatter blue light better than red. The surplus of small grains may be due to the fact that the star is not bright enough to blow away these tiny particles. In brighter, hotter stars, the pressure from radiation can actually push small dust grains out of the disk and far out into space.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    12h 19m 6.5s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    16° 32' 53.89"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Microscopium
  • 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.
    Approximately 33 light-years (10 parsecs)

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.
    This image was created from HST data from the following proposals, 9987 and 10330: H.C. Ford (JHU), J. Krist (STScI), and M. Clampin (GSFC). Members of the science team include: D.R. Ardila (JHU); D.A. Golimowski (JHU); J.E. Krist (STScI/JPL); M. Clampin (NASA/Goddard); J.P. Williams (UH/IfA); J.P. Blakeslee (JHU); H.C. Ford (JHU); G.F. Hartig (STScI); G.D. Illingworth (UCO-Lick) and the ACS Science Team.
  • 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.
    April 3, 2004, Exposure Time: 1.4 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F606W (V)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    AU Microscopii, AU Mic, GJ 803, HD197481
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Spectral Type "M0" Star with Debris Disk
  • Release Date
    December 9, 2004
  • Science Release
    Spitzer and Hubble Capture Evolving Planetary Systems
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, J.E. Krist (STScI/JPL); D.R. Ardila (JHU); D.A. Golimowski (JHU); M. Clampin (NASA/Goddard); H.C. Ford (JHU); G.D. Illingworth (UCO-Lick); G.F. Hartig (STScI) and the ACS Science Team

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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.

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Details

Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media

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