Beta Pictoris
Encyclopedia : B : BE : BET : Beta Pictoris
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|}Beta Pictoris (β Pic / β Pictoris) is the second brightest star in the constellation Pictor.
The star β Pictoris shows an excess of infrared emission compared to normal stars of its type. This excess comes from dust near the star. Detailed observations reveal a large disk of dust and gas orbiting the star, considered to be a type of protoplanetary disk called a debris disk. The β Pic system is very young, only 8-20 million years old.
New studies using a NASA ultraviolet space telescope called FUSE have discovered that this disk contains a surprising overabundance of carbon gas. Currently, the two suggested explanations for this are 1) β Pic might be in the process of forming exotic carbon-rich worlds, in contrast to the oxygen-rich Earth, or 2) it is passing through an unknown phase that might also have occurred early in the development of our solar system.
The star-system's disk extends more than 500 AUs away from β Pictoris, and shows a warp-like shape in the inner region. This suggests the presence of a massive object, perhaps a brown dwarf or a gas giant planet, orbiting the star and causing the disk's odd shape; however, the existence of this object has not yet been confirmed.
References
External links
- [Bright Star Catalog]
- [Beta Pictoris]
- [Dr. David Jewitt's page on Beta Pic]
- [Beta Pictoris] at SolStation.
- [ARICNS]
- [SEDS entry]
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