Protoplanetary Disks Collection

Artists concept of an astronaut falling towards a black hole in outer space. Gamma Rays erupt from the poles as a nearby nebula is pulled in

A young star surrounded by a dusty protoplanetary disk
This artists concept shows a young star surrounded by a dusty protoplanetary disk. This disk contains the raw material that can form planets as the star system matures

Artists depiction of a black hole and its accretion disk in interstellar space
An artists depiction of a black hole and its accretion disk in interstellar space pulling in gas and dust from a nearby nebula. Gamma ray bursts exit at the black holes poles and shoot into space

Artists depiction of a black hole in interstellar space
An artists depiction of a black hole in interstellar space pulling in gas and dust that start to heat. Gamma ray bursts exit at the black holes poles and shoot into space

Protostellar Disk
Stars form from whirling disks of dust and gas

Artist concept of a galaxy inside of a glowing hydrogen blob. The artists representation shows what one of the galaxies inside a blob might look like if viewed at a relatively close distance

A red giant star orbiting a black hole, which is drawing in matter from the star

Artists concept of a protoplanetary disk. A system is forming

An artists illustration of the Cygnus X-1 system. Cygnus X-1 is a so-called stellar-mass black hole, a class of black holes that comes from the collapse of a massive star

Diagram showing how planets orbit within a ring of dust surrounding Beta Pictoris
A diagram showing how the planets of Beta Pictoris orbit within a ring of dust surrounding the star

A comet being torn to shreds around a dead star
This artists concept illustrates a comet being torn to shreds around a dead star, or white dwarf, called G29-38. The Spitzer Space Telescope observed a cloud of dust around this white dwarf that may

A rare galaxy that is extremely dusty, and produces radio jets
This artists rendition illustrates a rare galaxy that is extremely dusty, and produces radio jets

Gamma Rays in Active Galactic Nuclei

Illustration of a supermassive black hole at the core of a young, star-rich galaxy
This artists conception illustrates one of the most primitive supermassive black holes known, at the core of a young, star-rich galaxy

A possible newfound planet spins through a clearing in a nearby stars dusty, planet-forming
In this artists conception, a possible newfound planet spins through a clearing in a nearby stars dusty, planet-forming disc

Planetary debris encircling the star AU Microscopii
This is a so-called scatter model based on the Hubble Space Telescope image of the planetary debris encircling the star AU Microscopii

A supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy
This artists concept depicts a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. The blue color here represents radiation pouring out from material very close to the black hole

A black hole in interstellar space
An artists depiction of a black hole in interstellar space pulling in gas and dust that start to heat. Gamma ray bursts exit at the black holes poles and shoot into space

A tight pair of stars and a surrounding disk of dust
This artists concept illustrates a tight pair of stars and a surrounding disk of dust, most likely the shattered remains of planetary smashups

Artists concept of a black hole and its accretion disk in interstellar space
An artists depiction of a black hole and its accretion disk in interstellar space pulling in gas and dust from the surrounding nebula

An astronaut floating in outer space as he is pulled towards a massive black hole
Artists concept of an astronaut floating in outer space as he is pulled towards a massive black hole. Gamma ray bursts erupt from the poles of the singularity

A dusty planet-forming disk in orbit around a whirling young star
This artists concept shows a dusty planet-forming disk in orbit around a whirling young star. The Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence that disks like this one can slow their stars down

The accretion disk around the binary star system WZ Sge
An artists concept of the accretion disk around the binary star system WZ Sge using data from Kitt Peak National Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope

An O-star just behind a young, cooler star and its swirling disk of planet-forming
This artists concept illustrates an O-star, which can be seen near the top right, just behind a young, cooler star and its swirling disk of planet-forming material

A view across a hypothetical barren alien planet towards a brown dwarf in the sky
View from a small, barren hypothetical planet orbiting obliquely to the plane of massive dust rings surrounding a brown dwarf of about 60 Jupiter masses

Material ejected by the Theia collision with primordial Earth
After Theia collided with the primordial Earth, the material ejected by the collision slowly began to reform into a body orbiting the Earth

Some galaxies have powerfully active cores that emit jets of energy

Artists concept of Cygnus X-1, a luminous x-ray source in the constellation Cygnus
In 1964 a luminous x-ray source in the sky caught the attention of astronomers. This source contained the first black hole discovered

A gap in a protoplanetary, or planet-forming, disk surrounding a young star. This artists concept illustrates one interpretation of the data, which attributes the disk gap to planet formation

The Boomerang Nebula. This reflecting cloud of dust and gas has two nearly symmetric lobes (or cones) of matter that are being ejected from a central star

A type of dead star called a pulsar and the surrounding disk of rubble
This artists concept depicts a type of dead star called a pulsar and the surrounding disk of rubble discovered by the Spitzer Space Telescope

A Magnetar, a very small, compact neutron star that periodically emits light
A Magnetar is a special kind of a pulsar, which is a very small, compact neutron star that periodically emits light. Magnetar are extremely powerful magnetic stars

Artists concept showing a lump of material in a swirling, planet-forming disk
This artists conception shows a lump of material in a swirling, planet-forming disk. Astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence that a companion to a star

A supermassive black hole at the center of a remote galaxy digesting the remnants
This artists concept shows a supermassive black hole at the center of a remote galaxy digesting the remnants of a star. The artists concept chronicles the star being ripped apart

A view across a hypothetical primitive alien planet towards a brown dwarf in the sky. This brown dwarf is host to a disk composed primarily of asteroids and boulders

Jets of material shooting out from the neutron star in a binary system
This artist concept illustrates jets of material shooting out from the neutron star in the binary system 4U 0614+091. Astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope found these remarkable jets

A compact object, or a black hole, is seen ripping off gas from its sun-like companion that has filled its Roche Lobe. Gas from the star (called the donor)

A stellar black hole emits streams of plasma from its event horizon

Dusty disks circling a star
This artists concept illustrates a solar system that is a much younger version of our own. Dusty disks, like the one shown here circling the star, are thought to be the breeding grounds of planets

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"Exploring the Mysteries of Protoplanetary Disks: Gateways to Planetary Formation" In the vast expanse of outer space, protoplanetary disks hold the secrets to our cosmic origins. Artists have envisioned these enigmatic structures, capturing their mesmerizing beauty and scientific significance. One such artwork portrays an astronaut hurtling towards a black hole, surrounded by a dusty protoplanetary disk. This captivating image symbolizes mankind's relentless pursuit of knowledge in understanding these celestial wonders. Another depiction showcases a young star encircled by its own protoplanetary disk, shrouded in swirling dust and gas. These disks serve as nurseries for planets, providing the necessary materials for their birth and growth. The intricate dance between black holes and their accretion disks is captured in yet another artistic representation. Here, we witness the immense gravitational pull that shapes interstellar space into awe-inspiring phenomena. A red giant star gracefully orbits a black hole in one illustration, highlighting how these massive objects can influence stellar evolution within their vicinity. Such interactions offer invaluable insights into the life cycles of stars. The Cygnus X-1 system comes alive through an artist's imagination—a testament to humanity's fascination with distant galaxies nestled within glowing hydrogen blobs. Within these extragalactic realms lie countless protoplanetary disks waiting to be explored. Gamma rays emanating from galactic nuclei are visualized in another artwork—reminders of energetic processes occurring within protoplanetary systems that shape planetary atmospheres and environments. A diagram illustrates how planets obediently orbit within rings of dust surrounding Beta Pictoris—an exquisite demonstration of nature's precision engineering at work during planet formation stages. Lastly, we witness a comet meeting its demise around a dead star—an intense encounter revealing how they are be both nurturing cradles for new worlds while also harboring destructive forces capable of tearing celestial bodies apart.