A Recent Discovery of Planet-Forming Discs in Cosmic Construction Zone RCW 49

[Pureinsight.org] RCW 49 Nebula is one of most productive cosmic construction zones in the Milky Way. RCW 49 is located in the Sagittarius constellation that appears dark and full of dust, but it is actually a nursery for newborn stars. Within, there are more than 2,200 newborn stars.

For the first time, NASA's Space Infrared Telescope (the Spitzer Space Telescope) has discovered two of the farthest seen planets that have formed protoplanetary discs (or planet-forming discs) within RCW 49. They each surround over 300 newborn stars. This new photo taken by Spitzer displays, in astonishing detail, this nebula for the first time.

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2004/6/8/27520.html