A nearly edge-on disk nicknamed Gomez’s Hamburger is giving astronomers a side view of a possible planet-building site. An October 19 National Radio Astronomy Observatory release describes ALMA observations of layered gas, concentrated dust and an unusual arc of sulfur monoxide near a previously identified dense clump.
The clump, known as GoHam b, is a candidate location for material collapsing into a giant planet or a fragment of the disk. The chemical feature strengthens the case for investigating it, but the observations do not establish a finished planet.
Reading the disk from the side
Most familiar images of planet-forming disks emphasize rings viewed from above. GoHam’s orientation reveals height as well as distance from its star. The observations trace different molecular layers, with millimeter-sized dust concentrated in a comparatively thin central region and gas extending much farther above and below it.
The disk is also asymmetric. One side is brighter and more extended in dust emission, and faint carbon monoxide structures suggest escaping gas. NRAO describes a system large enough for its carbon monoxide disk to reach nearly 1,000 astronomical units in radius. The observatory’s release summarizes this unusual geometry.
A chemical clue, with alternatives
The research paper identifies a narrow, one-sided sulfur-monoxide arc close to the gas overdensity. Sulfur-bearing molecules can become more conspicuous where shocks, warming or the release of ice-bound material change local chemistry. That makes them useful tracers of disturbance, rather than a unique fingerprint proving a planet is present.
The team also estimates the central star’s mass at about 2.2 solar masses, with substantial uncertainty, and revises the system’s distance to roughly 139 parsecs. Both measurements matter when translating an image’s apparent dimensions into a physical model.
GoHam therefore provides a demanding test for theories of giant planets forming far from their stars: any explanation must account for chemistry, motions and structure together. The paper first appeared as a September preprint and was revised in October; the new observatory announcement accompanies its journal publication.
Reporting checked October 20, 2026 (UTC). Catch-up coverage of the October 19 announcement.
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