Dracula's Chivito: The Giant Edge-On Disk Where Planets Form

Today we explore Dracula's Chivito, the monster protoplanetary disk around a luminous young Herbig A star about 300 parsecs away. Named for Transylvania fangs and a famous Uruguayan steak sandwich, it’s one of the largest disks known around a massive star, with a radius near 1650 AU and a butterfly-shaped silhouette in Hubble images. Submillimeter data from SMA (and NOEMA) reveal CO gas in Keplerian rotation, confirming this is a genuine planet-forming disk rather than a dying nebula. The disk is far from simple—featuring rings, a central cavity, and a strong north–south brightness asymmetry suggesting eccentric, dynamically rich planet-building activity. A rare Class 2 disk, offers a striking window into how giant planets may form within chaotic birth environments.

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