Scientists have proven the existence of the largest protoplanetary disk in the history of observation. Someone will be very lucky or very lucky with the supply of matter in the star system. According to the most modest calculations, the system will allow the formation of planets up to gas giants at a distance of 300 times the distance from the Sun to Jupiter.

Strictly speaking, the object IRAS 23077+6707 (IRAS 23077) was discovered by the IRAS Infrared Observatory about 40 years ago. In 2016, the object was subjected to more detailed observation using the Pan-STARRS survey telescope. For decades, the picture has not changed, which can be expected from clusters of gas and dust around supernovae or the process of other dynamic phenomena in the universe, forcing scientists to look at it in a new way and, as it turned out, the picture has not changed. , for good reason.

By connecting the SMA radio telescope array in Hawaii to the observation of IRAS 23077+6707, scientists found that this object has all the characteristics of a protoplanetary disk. But what! Chunks of gas, dust, debris, and matter stretched an enormous distance from the native star. The distance from it to the instrumented edge of the protoplanetary disk IRAS 23077+6707 was 300 times greater than the distance from the Sun to Jupiter; This corresponds to 1500 astronomical units.

“The SMA data gives us strong evidence that it is a disk, and when combined with an estimate of the distance to the system, shows that it orbits a star that is probably two to four times more massive than our Sun. From the SMA data, we see that it has enough material to form many giant planets and that the Sun We can also measure the dust and gas in this planetary nursery, which we found to be more than 300 times the distance between Earth and Jupiter! — scientists share their discoveries.

Because of its appearance in radio telescope data, the object IRAS 23077 + 6707 was called “Dracula’s Chivito”, combining the national accents of the leading scientists: one from Uruguay (chivito is the same hamburger), the other from Romania. The object is not suitable for observation in the optical and infrared range – the protoplanetary disk is rotated at an angle towards us, but in the radio range it can be seen well enough to distinguish its structure and molecular signatures of the substances contained in it.

Studying such objects will allow us to better understand the conditions and processes of formation of star systems. Since the object IRAS 23077 + 6707 is relatively close to us – about 1000 light-years away – it can provide many clues in this field of research.