Beta Pictoris shows an excess of infrared emission[14] compared to normal stars of its type, which is caused by large quantities of dust and gas (including carbon monoxide)[15][16] near the star. Detailed observations reveal a large disk of dust and gas orbiting the star, which was the first debris disk to be imaged around another star.[17] In addition to the presence of several planetesimal belts[18] and cometary activity,[19] there are indications that planets have formed within this disk and that the processes of planet formation may be ongoing.[20] Material from the Beta Pictoris debris disk is thought to be the dominant source of interstellar meteoroids in the Solar System.[21]