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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Band of Rubble
Title
Band of Rubble
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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This artist's animation illustrates a massive asteroid belt in orbit around a star the same age and size as our Sun. Evidence for this possible belt was discovered by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope when it spotted warm dust around the star, presumably from asteroids smashing together.
The view starts from outside the belt, where planets like the one shown here might possibly reside, then moves into to the dusty belt itself. A collision between two asteroids is depicted near the end of the movie. Collisions like this replenish the dust in the asteroid belt, making it detectable to Spitzer.
The alien belt circles a faint, nearby star called HD 69830 located 41 light-years away in the constellation Puppis. Compared to our own solar system's asteroid belt, this one is larger and closer to its star - it is 25 times as massive, and lies just inside an orbit equivalent to that of Venus. Our asteroid belt circles between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Because Jupiter acts as an outer wall to our asteroid belt, shepherding its debris into a series of bands, it is possible that an unseen planet is likewise marshalling this belt's rubble. Previous observations using the radial velocity technique did not locate any large gas giant planets, indicating that any planets present in this system would have to be the size of Saturn or smaller.
Asteroids are chunks of rock from "failed" planets, which never managed to coalesce into full-sized planets. Asteroid belts can be thought of as construction sites that accompany the building of rocky planets.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
This artist's animation illustrates a massive asteroid belt in orbit around a star the same age and size as our Sun. Evidence for this possible belt was discovered by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope when it spotted warm dust around the star, presumably from asteroids smashing together.
The view starts from outside the belt, where planets like the one shown here might possibly reside, then moves into to the dusty belt itself. A collision between two asteroids is depicted near the end of the movie. Collisions like this replenish the dust in the asteroid belt, making it detectable to Spitzer.
The alien belt circles a faint, nearby star called HD 69830 located 41 light-years away in the constellation Puppis. Compared to our own solar system's asteroid belt, this one is larger and closer to its star - it is 25 times as massive, and lies just inside an orbit equivalent to that of Venus. Our asteroid belt circles between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Because Jupiter acts as an outer wall to our asteroid belt, shepherding its debris into a series of bands, it is possible that an unseen planet is likewise marshalling this belt's rubble. Previous observations using the radial velocity technique did not locate any large gas giant planets, indicating that any planets present in this system would have to be the size of Saturn or smaller.
Asteroids are chunks of rock from "failed" planets, which never managed to coalesce into full-sized planets. Asteroid belts can be thought of as construction sites that accompany the building of rocky planets.
Original Caption Released with Image
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note:
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Band of Rubble [ http //photojournal.jpl.n asa.gov/animation/PI A07854 ]
Click on graphic to obtain download options
note
Band of Rubble [ http //photojournal.jpl.n asa.gov/animation/PI A07854 ]
Click on graphic to obtain download options
note
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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California Institute of Technology
Produced_By
California Institute of Technology
Produced By
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Mission:
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Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Mission
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Spacecraft
Spitzer Space Telescope (SST)
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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HD 69830
Target_Name
HD 69830
Target Name
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Product Size:
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3000 samples x 2400 lines
Product_Size
3000 samples x 2400 lines
Product Size
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Venus
facet_what
Venus
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Jupiter
facet_what
Jupiter
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Saturn
facet_what
Saturn
facet_what
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facet_what:
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SST
facet_what
SST
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Puppis
facet_what
Puppis
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS)
facet_what
Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Venus
facet_where
Venus
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jupiter
facet_where
Jupiter
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Saturn
facet_where
Saturn
facet_where
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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Image #:
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PIA07854
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA07854
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA07854
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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