Planetary System Unlike Our Own Revealed Around Nearby Star
- James Webb Space Telescope observed three concentric belts of debris orbiting the star Fomalhaut, suggesting the gravitational influence of unseen planets.
- The belts extend up to 14 billion miles from the star and are populated by objects like asteroids and comets believed to eventually form planets.
- Fomalhaut's system includes an inner belt 10 times wider than expected, a tilted second belt, and an outer Kuiper belt-like ring with a Great Dust Cloud formed by a collision.
- Fomalhaut is a young, bright star 25 light-years from Earth that has been studied for thousands of years but only now revealed in such detail.
- Fomalhaut's chaotic structure provides insight into how planetary systems form and the detailed image can help unlock secrets behind planetary beginnings.