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This is an artist's impression of the HD 142527 binary star system based on data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Using ALMA, astronomers have taken a new, detailed look at the very early stages of planet formation around a binary star. Embedded in the outer reaches of a double star's protoplanetary disk, the researchers discovered a striking crescent-shape region of dust that is conspicuously devoid of gas, shown here as a red arc.
This suggests carbon monoxide has "frozen out," forming a layer of frost on the dust grains in that region. Astronomers speculate this frost provides a boost to planet formation. The two dots in the center represent the two stars in the system.Image credit: B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)
