There is a proposal to search for small moons, dust rings, and old orbiters with it.
Based on infrared spectroscopy, the dust ring is the primary site of star formation within this galaxy.
An infrared excess is usually an indicator of a dust ring in orbit around the star.
The clumpy dust ring also becomes transparent in infrared.
This allows a clear view of the inner disk of stars within the dust ring.
Lifting a glass paperweight from a polished antique end table leaves no telltale dust ring.
The dust ring stands almost perpendicular to the relatively flat spiral nebula.
A pair of ionization cones extend from the axis of the main dust ring.
It may even discover that the Earth has a dust ring, like a junior version of Saturn.
Evidence for a planetary system was discovered in 1998 by the observation of asymmetries in this dust ring.