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NASA's Hubble Discovers Massive Protoplanetary Disk 1,000 Light-Years Away

12/24/2025

Summary

Story summary

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope imaged the largest protoplanetary disk, Dracula’s Chivito, about 1,000 light-years from Earth.
The disk spans roughly 400 billion miles, making it about 40 times the diameter of our solar system.
The disk exhibits chaotic and turbulent features, including filament-like structures visible on only one side.
Researchers estimate the disk's mass at 10 to 30 times the mass of Jupiter.
The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal and provide new insights into planetary formation.

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Story summary

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope imaged the largest protoplanetary disk, Dracula’s Chivito, about 1,000 light-years from Earth.
The disk spans roughly 400 billion miles, making it about 40 times the diameter of our solar system.
The disk exhibits chaotic and turbulent features, including filament-like structures visible on only one side.
Researchers estimate the disk's mass at 10 to 30 times the mass of Jupiter.
The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal and provide new insights into planetary formation.