Birth of Saturn

Imagine Saturn emerging from the goo of birth, winging around a newborn star and plowing through the leftover gas and dust. Well, someone already did, and it didn't take much imagination.

Artist's view of the young "Saturn." Full Story

By peering at the infrared radiation of a dusty cocoon that surrounds a relatively young star, scientists saw evidence for a newborn planet they think resembles Saturn as it might have been when our solar system was young. An incredible illustration of the scene, based on images collected by a ground-based telescope, allowed the rest of us to partake in the excitement the astronomers must have experienced.

The star, by the way, is Fomalhaut, the 17th brightest and easily visible in the night sky. For skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes, it currently shows up near the southern horizon as darkness falls. During the evening, it rotates toward the southwest and dips out of view around 8:30 p.m. local time. It is the brightest star in the region.

Next Page: Solar Close-up