A hot compact dust disk around a massive young stellar object.

Circumstellar disks are an essential ingredient of the formation of low-mass stars, but it is unclear whether they are also required for the formation of stars more massive than about 10 solar masses. Clear observational evidence is needed, for example the detection of dusty disks around massive young stellar objects. Here, near-infrared interferometric observations are reported that spatially resolve the distribution of hot material around a high-mass young stellar object.