Beta Pictoris Disk Hides Giant Elliptical Ring System

The planetary dust disk around the star Beta Pictoris is dynamically 'ringing like a bell, ' according to astronomers investigating NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images. The 'clapper' is the gravitational wallop of a star that passed near Beta Pictoris some 100, 000 years ago.

Credit:
NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)