Overview

• HP Tau is a young variable star, still in its formative T Tauri phase, showing periodic and random brightness fluctuations.
• The triple-star system includes HP Tau, HP Tau G2, and HP Tau G3, nestled in a reflection nebula.
• Hubble's image reveals the chaotic environment where protoplanetary disks could form into planets over millions of years.
• The Wide Field Camera 3, installed during a 2009 shuttle mission, was crucial for capturing this detailed scene.
• Hubble's ongoing observations of such systems help astronomers understand stellar and planetary formation.