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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.
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