Scientists have used a rather novel technique to measure out the size of the major planet - forming saucer of junk and gaseous state surrounding a whiz near Earth . Using two telescopes , astronomer measured the fourth dimension it take for ignitor to travel from the wiz YLW 16B to Earth , and the time take for the “ echo ” of this luminosity to bounce off the disc .
This technique hasallowed astronomersto calculate the distance of the headliner to its disk , which they estimate at 0.08 astronomical units ( AU , 1 AU is the Earth - Sun distance ) , or 8 percent of Earth ’s distance to the Sun .
This finding , publish in theAstrophysical Journal , will allow us to get a beneficial understanding of how planet form in these protoplanetary disks . Such disks are eff to produce planets around stars , as objects scoop up material and sweep out gap . But exactly how some planets form , such as blistering Jupiters – petrol giants that shape exceedingly close to their stars – remains a mystery .
" Understanding protoplanetary disks can aid us sympathize some of the mysteries about exoplanets , the planet in solar systems outside our own , " say lead author Huan Meng from the University of Arizona in a statement . " We desire to know how planet make and why we find large planets called ' hot Jupiters ' close to their stars . "
Above , a graphic showing how the measuring was made . NASA / JPL - Caltech
To make the measurement of this gap required a scrap of jiggery-pokery from the stargazer , though . At 400 billion light - years away , it ’s difficult to make a direct visible observation because of the rubble and gas surrounding the star .
However , YLW 16B is get laid to be a varying star , which means that it is often and irregularly changing in luminousness . This is because it is still near the start of its life , having formed just 1 million year ago ( compared to 4.6 billion years for our Sun ) . When the star has one of its outburst , we can observe this variety in brightness level .
But the change also entail that the “ echo , ” produced by lightness bouncing off the protoplanetary disk , will be noticeably different . Using ground - based observatories , the team were capable to evaluate the light from the star , and 74 seconds by and by , they used NASA ’s Spitzer space telescope to measure out infrared light from the disk ’s echo . This give them their measuring of 0.08 AU for the gap .
The astronomers now conceive this method acting could be used to mensurate disks around other star , ease up us a better clasp on how uncanny and grand planets form .
