Hubble's Giant Space Sandwich: A Peek into Planet Formation

Hubble has done it again, capturing a colossal cosmic disk that looks like a sandwich. This isn't just any space snack; it's the biggest protoplanetary disk ever seen.

Dracula's Chivito: A Giant in the Cosmos

• Nickname: Dracula's Chivito
• Distance: About 1,000 light-years away
• Size: Roughly 400 billion miles, about 40 times wider than our solar system

This disk isn't just a pretty picture. It's a chaotic mix of dust and gas, 10 to 30 times heavier than Jupiter. One side has strange filament-like features, suggesting it's being shaped by dynamic processes. This could give us clues about how our own solar system formed.

The Origin of the Nickname

The nickname Dracula's Chivito comes from the home regions of the astronomers who studied it. One is from Transylvania, and the other is from Uruguay, where a popular sandwich is called a chivito. The disk's flattened shape resembles a hamburger or a hot dog, depending on who you ask.

Hubble's Continued Discoveries

Hubble might be old, but it's still making big discoveries. This year alone, it's captured:

• Space rocks colliding
• A white dwarf eating a Pluto-like object
• A massive photo of the Andromeda galaxy

A Window into Planetary Formation

This disk is more than just a space oddity. It's a window into the dramatic past of planetary systems. By studying it, we might learn more about how planets, including ours, come to be. So, while it might make your stomach rumble, it's also a feast for astronomers.