Space odysseys

Artist's conceptualization of the dusty TYC 8241 2652 system as it might have appeared several years ago when it was emitting large amounts of excess infrared radiation, is illustrated in this handout image from the Gemini Observatory received by Reuters July 3, 2012. In a cosmic case of ''now-you-see-it, now-you-don't,'' a brilliant disk of dust around a Sun-like star has suddenly vanished, and the scientists who observed the disappearance aren't sure about what happened. This discovery has the potential to make astronomers re-think their ideas about what happens as solar systems form. REUTERS/Gemini Observatory/AURA artwork by Lynette Cook/Handout