Hubble Captures Chaotic Structure of Largest Known Protoplanetary Disk, IRAS 23077+6707

Astronomers leveraging data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have successfully imaged the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star IRAS 23077+6707. This particular disk dwarfs all previously observed analogs, offering unprecedented insight into the environments where planets take shape. The findings, which were detailed in The Astrophysical Journal near the close of 2025, shed light on the intricate structures within these nascent planetary systems. Located approximately 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus, the IRAS 23077+6707 system has been informally nicknamed Dracula's Chivito.

The sheer scale of this disk is staggering, spanning nearly 640 billion kilometers. To put that into perspective, this measurement is equivalent to about 40 times the diameter of our own Solar System out to the furthest reaches of the Kuiper Belt. Observations captured by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) revealed that the disk, which is presented to Earth at a steep angle of nearly 80 degrees, exhibits a surprising degree of turbulence and structural disarray. Scientists hypothesize that the star at the system's core is either a single, hot, high-mass star or a tightly bound binary system, both obscured from direct view by the dense, flat disk material.

Key attributes of this celestial object include its immense size and its estimated mass, calculated to be between 10 and 30 times that of Jupiter. This substantial reservoir of material suggests the system has the potential to birth numerous gas giant planets. Dr. Kristina Monsch, the lead researcher from the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), emphasized that the level of fine detail captured by Hubble is a rarity for images of protoplanetary disks. Unlike many other observed disks, IRAS 23077+6707 provides an exceptional vantage point for mapping substructures within the visible light spectrum.

A particularly compelling feature is the pronounced asymmetry observed across the disk. The northern edge displays elongated, filamentary structures extending roughly 10 arcseconds beyond the main body. Conversely, the southern side lacks these distinct features. These prominent, wispy formations projecting far beyond the central plane suggest a complex, perhaps turbulent, outer envelope, likely shaped by accretion processes or dynamic instabilities within the system. With its dark central band flanked by glowing layers of gas and dust, the disk bears a resemblance to a cosmic hamburger, making it a crucial natural laboratory for studying planet formation under extreme conditions.

This significant discovery strongly implies that planetary nurseries can be far more dynamic and chaotic than current theoretical models have often assumed, challenging established ideas about the early evolution of planetary systems. While numerous studies have documented the relatively compact nature of protoplanetary disks orbiting low-mass stars, this colossal object might represent an inflated, early version of our own Solar System. The high-precision visible-light imaging provided by Hubble, in contrast to data gathered by JWST, allows for precise tracing of these internal substructures—a vital step toward comprehending planet genesis within such massive and volatile environments.