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Comet crystals feel the heat


Since comets formed out in the cold depths of the Solar System, the existence of materials in them that must have been created in high temperatures has been a real puzzle, until now. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has observed the infrared signature of tiny silicate crystals, of the type found in comets, being created in the planet-forming disc around a young star called EX Lupi, in the constellation of Lupus.

The stellar outbursts occur when the growing young star accumulates a large amount of mass from the dusty, gaseous disc that is spinning around it. Each outburst sends a flash of heat permeating through the disc. At the distance the crystals were seen at, the temperature reached 725 degrees Celsius (about 1,000 kelvin), enough to thermally ‘anneal’ the silicate dust.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Comet crystals feel the heat”

Sonja Dupor said...
May 20, 2009 at 12:47 PM

I just wanted to say you have a nice blog. I love science but astronomy is so hard for me to understand. You explain the concepts very well. Thank you.

LazyKing said...
May 21, 2009 at 10:26 AM

beautiful picture.

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