Hypothetical Beta Pictoris planet. Computer illustration of a hypothetical giant planet (lower left) it is thought might be lurking in the debris surr

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Hypothetical Beta Pictoris planet. Computer illustration of a hypothetical giant planet (lower left) it is thought might be lurking in the debris surrounding the star Beta Pictoris. New observations made using the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) show that this gas giant would be shepherding a giant swarm of comets (some in front and some trailing behind the planet) that are colliding with each other as often as every five minutes.

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Size: 4674px × 2630px
Photo credit: © Goddard Space Flight Center/F. Reddy/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, alma, array, artwork, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, atacama, beta, cloud, colliding, collision, comet, comets, debris, gas, giant, hypothetical, illustration, large, millimetre/submillimetre, observation, pictoris, planetary, saturn-mass, science, space, star, starry, stars, swarm