Silicate Crystal Formation in the Disk of an Erupting Star Artist Concept

This artist's concept illustrates how silicate crystals like those found in comets can be created by an outburst from a growing star. The image shows a young sun-like star encircled by its planet-forming disk of gas and dust. The silicate that makes up most of the dust would have begun as non-crystallized, amorphous particles. Streams of material are seen spiraling from the disk onto the star increasing its mass and causing the star to brighten and heat up dramatically.