Carving out an orbit

ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER/ SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY, 16 OCTOBER 2017 Circumstellar discs are rings of gas and dust around young stars, and they often coalesce into planets. The star you see here, V1247 Orionis, appears to have two: a bright inner ring and a wider, fainter one farther out. The dark gap in between is thought to be caused by a young planet orbiting the star, carving a path through the material as it does so.