Gas Giant Planet Forming Around Young Star Space Wallpaper

Gas Giant Planet Forming Around Young Star 1920
This amazing space wallpaper shows an artist’s impression of the formation of a gas giant planet in the ring of dust around the young star HD 100546. (Image credit: ESO/L. Calçada)

This amazing space wallpaper shows an artist’s impression of the formation of a gas giant planet in the ring of dust around the young star HD 100546. This system is also suspected to contain another large planet orbiting closer to the star. The newly-discovered object lies about 70 times further from its star than the Earth does from the Sun. This protoplanet is surrounded by a thick cloud of material so that, seen from this position, its star almost invisible and red in colour because of the scattering of light from the dust.

Space.com Staff
Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. We transport our visitors across the solar system and beyond through accessible, comprehensive coverage of the latest news and discoveries. For us, exploring space is as much about the journey as it is the destination.