D E B R I S   D I S K S   II

AU Microscopii

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Photographic image of the debris disk around AU Microscopii. Courtesy HST ACS/HRC/ J. Krist/STScI/JPL

The nearby star AU Microscopii, located at a distance of 9.9 parsecs (32 light years), is the only M dwarf so far detected with a well-resolved debris disk. AU Microscopii is evidently a sibling to Beta Pictoris (Kalas et al. 2004). Both stars were probably born in the same star-forming nebula about 12 million years ago. Like that of Beta Pictoris, the AU Microscopii debris disk is seen edge-on from the perspective of the Solar System. Its outer radius is comparable to the extent of the Kuiper Belt.





Artist's impression of the AU Microscopii debris disk. Courtesy NASA/ESA/J. Krist/G. Bacon

This artist's impression of the AU Microscopii debris disk represents the disk's central clearance within a radius of about 12 AU, as well as the reddish coloration of the M-type host star.





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1 		AU Microscopii Debris Disk
2 		Espilon Eridani Debris Rings
3 		HD 69830 Debris Belt
4 		Beta Pictoris Debris Disk
5 		Fomalhaut and Vega
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