Astronomers reveal a new phenomenon dubbed the 'rocking shadow' effect that describes how discs in forming planetary systems are oriented, and how they move around their host star. The effect also ...

Astronomers have long struggled to find young planets hidden inside the thick clouds of gas and dust that swirl around new stars. These swirling clouds—called protoplanetary discs—are the birthplaces ...

In the surroundings of a young star located 444 light years away, a team of astronomers found what may be the precursor to life itself. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in ...

ALMA has spotted ring and spiral structures in protoplanetary disks just 300,000 or so years old. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

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Still from a simulation of a forming planetary disk. The images show the rotating inner disk along the top half, and the shadow it casts on the outer disk in the lower half. CREDIT Rebecca Nealon / ...