Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
HL Tau is a young star located in the constellation Taurus, approximately 450 light-years from Earth. It is an important object of study due to its protoplanetary disk, which provides insights into the early stages of planet formation.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
HL Tau is estimated to be less than a million years old, making it a very young star.
The protoplanetary disk around HL Tau was imaged in unprecedented detail by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in 2014.
The detailed images of HL Tau's disk revealed multiple gaps and rings, which are believed to be caused by forming planets.
HL Tau's observations support the theory that planets form within disks of gas and dust surrounding young stars.
Studying HL Tau helps astronomers understand the processes involved in the early stages of planetary system development.
A rotating circumstellar disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, where planets can form.
ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array): A powerful telescope array located in Chile that observes electromagnetic radiation at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths.
Planet Formation: The process by which solid particles within a protoplanetary disk coalesce to form planetary bodies.