Hubble image archive
Artist's Illustration of Exoplanet HD 106906 b's Orbit
This graphic shows how the exoplanet HD 106906 b may have evolved over time, arriving at its current, widely separated, eccentric and highly misaligned orbit. (1) The planet formed much closer to its stars, inside a circumstellar disk of gas and dust. Drag from the disk caused th...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2020
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2020-53-4789-image
This graphic shows how the exoplanet HD 106906 b may have evolved over time, arriving at its current, widely separated, eccentric and highly misaligned orbit. (1) The planet formed much closer to its stars, inside a circumstellar disk of gas and dust. Drag from the disk caused the planet's orbit to decay, forcing it to spiral inward toward its stellar pair. (2) The gravitational effects from the host stars then kicked the planet out onto an unstable orbit that almost threw it out of the system and into the void of interstellar space. (3) A passing star from outside the system stabilized HD 106906 b's orbit and prevented the planet from leaving its home system.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and L. Hustak (STScI)Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | HD 106906 b's Orbit |
| Object Description | Artist's illustration of the evolution of HD 106906 b's orbit |
| R.A. Position | 12:17:53.114 |
| Dec. Position | -55:58:32.11 |
| Constellation | Crux |
| Distance | 336 light-years |
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