"Unexplained 'Cat Tail' Phenomenon Spotted by James Webb Telescope Near Star"

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Source: Yahoo Life
"Unexplained 'Cat Tail' Phenomenon Spotted by James Webb Telescope Near Star"
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TL;DR Summary

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured images of a peculiar "cat tail" feature extending from the protoplanetary disk of the young star Beta Pictoris, located 63 light-years away. This unusual structure, observed at a slight angle to the main disk, has puzzled scientists and suggests a more active and chaotic system than previously thought. The tail, estimated to be equivalent in mass to some of the largest asteroids in our solar system, may have formed from a collision within the disk, with material being stretched and shaped by the star's light. Additionally, the telescope revealed that Beta Pictoris' two disks are different temperatures, indicating that the secondary disk is likely composed of predominantly dark-hued, organic matter rather than gas.

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