Captured Intruder object “breaking and entering” into a developing star system

For the first time, scientists have captured an intruder object “breaking and entering” into a developing star system. Combining scattered light observations (H-band) from the Subaru Telescope (top right) with dust continuum emission observations from the VLA (Ka-band, 2nd image right) and ALMA’s Band 6 receiver (3rd image right), and the 13CO line (bottom right), scientists were able to gain a comprehensive understanding of just how much disruption this intruder caused, including the development of long streams of gas stretching far out from the protoplanetary disk surrounding Z Canis Majoris, a star in the Canis Majoris constellation. Just what consequences these disruptions will have on the birth of planets in the star system is yet to be seen.

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), S. Dagnello (NRAO/AUI/NSF), NAOJ