Ripping up a circumstellar disk During the process of star formation, a disk of gas and dust forms around the young star, controlling the accretion of more material. Once the star has formed, any leftover material in this circumstellar disk can form planets. If a binary or triple star forms at the center of the disk, theoretical models predict that tidal torques caused by their orbits can rip the disk apart, in a process known as disk tearing. Kraus et al. observed the nearby young triple-star system GW Orionis with multiple near-infrared and submillimeter telescopes, using the techniques of interferometry and polarimetry. They found evidence for multiple rings with different orientations and warping of part of the disk, both produced by disk tearing. Science , this issue p. 1233