An artist’s impression of the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis (IMAGE)

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

An artist’s impression of the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis

Caption

This artist’s impression shows the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis. In the outermost part of the disc, volatile gases are frozen out as ice, which contains complex organic molecules. An outburst of energy from the star heats the inner disc to a temperature that evaporates the ice and releases the complex molecules, enabling astronomers to detect it.

The inset image shows the chemical structure of complex organic molecules detected and presumed in the protoplanetary disc (from left to right): propionitrile (ethyl cyanide), glycolonitrile, alanine, glycine, ethylene glycol, and acetonitrile (methyl cyanide).

Credit

ESO/L. Calçada/T. Müller (MPIA/HdA)

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License

CC BY

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