ALMA image of the protoplanetary disc around HL Tauri

This is the sharpest image ever taken by ALMA — sharper even than the images routinely achieved in visible light with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. It shows the protoplanetary disc surrounding the young star HL Tauri. These new ALMA observations reveal substructures within the disc that have never been seen before and even show the possible positions of planets forming in the dark patches within the system.

Credit:

ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Image Formats

Large JPEG
1.7 MB
Screensize JPEG
97.9 KB