D E B R I S   D I S K S   IV

HD   69830

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The planetary system of the orange dwarf star HD 69830, including a ring of debris reminiscent of the Asteroid Belt.
Courtesy European Southern Observatory

The nearby K0 star HD 69830 is one of a growing number of Sun-like stars that are known to support both a planetary system and a substantial field of debris (see also Sun-like Stars with Debris). Located at a distance of 12.6 parsecs (41 light years), HD 69830 has three planets of the approximate mass of Uranus or Neptune, all orbiting within 0.63 AU of the primary. This is smaller than the orbit of Venus, guaranteeing that all three planets are quite warm. A narrow but dense debris ring is located beyond 1 AU, the site of collisional cascades that scatter warm dust inward toward the central star. Recent analyses confirm the presence of volatiles, including water ice, within the debris ring. (See Wyatt et al. 2007a, Lisse et al. 2007.)





Artist's impression of the view from an imaginary moon in the HD 69830 planetary system.
Courtesy European Southern Observatory

The debris belt of HD 69830 is so dusty that it is visible within the inner system as a bright band of reflected light, much more luminous than the Milky Way.





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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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