QUICK FACTS<\/p>\n
What it is:<\/strong> A planet-forming disk around a star<\/p>\n Where it is:<\/strong> 525 light-years away, in the constellation Taurus<\/p>\n When it was shared:<\/strong> Aug. 29, 2025<\/p>\n This spectacular new image from the James Webb Space Telescope<\/a> (JWST<\/a>) shows a star cocooned within a massive disk of gas and dust. It’s a protoplanetary disk \u2014 a ring of dense gas and dust surrounding a young star \u2014 where planets are likely forming.<\/p>\n The star is IRAS 04302+2247, better known as the “Butterfly Star” because of how our edge-on view separates the bright nebula into two lobes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The star system is about 525 light-years away, in the Taurus star-forming region, or Taurus Molecular Cloud<\/a>, which is within the constellation Taurus in the night sky. It’s the closest star-forming region to the solar system<\/a>, and it’s rich in molecular hydrogen, dust and heavier elements from past supernovas. These are raw materials for new stars and planets.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Much of this region is invisible to optical telescopes but is revealed in infrared light. This image is a combination of mostly optical data from the archive of the Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> and new infrared data from JWST’s Near Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) , the European Space Agency<\/a> (ESA) wrote in a description of the image<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we’re getting closer than ever.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n MIRI revealed a dark, dusty lane \u2014 the protoplanetary disk \u2014 that divides the nebula. It blocks the star’s light, while surrounding gas and dust scatter the star’s light. It’s huge \u2014 about 40 billion miles (65 billion kilometers) across, or several times wider than the solar system, according to ESA.<\/p>\n The line of sight determines what astronomers can learn from images like this. In face-on images of protoplanetary disks, scientists can sometimes see rings, spirals or gaps where planets are forming. With an edge-on view like this, it’s possible to study the thickness of a protoplanetary disk and how dust is distributed around it, both of which are key to understanding how planets form and accumulate mass. Here, dust is expected to settle toward the midplane, creating conditions where grains can clump and grow into planetesimals.<\/p>\n