Latest news with #planetformation
CBC
22-07-2025
- Science
- CBC
Astronomers capture an image of a potential planet forming around star
Astronomers believe they have caught a planet in the act of forming, something that has never before been witnessed. Planets form out of the leftover gas and dust once a star has ignited, and it's believed that the forming planet or planets create a disk around the host star. While astronomers have seen this protoplanetary disk around many stars, they have never before photographed an actual planet forming within, an action that creates spiral-like structures. While earlier observations of this star didn't reveal any object that could be orbiting it, the team that made this discovery used a different instrument that looked at it in a different wavelength. The authors of the study, published Monday in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters, say they haven't yet confirmed that what they've captured is the formation of a planet or protoplanet. "We have only one image [in] only one wavelength," said Francesco Maio, a doctoral researcher at the University of Florence, and lead author of the study. "We have three images where we don't see this object. So we need to understand the properties of these candidate protoplanets." The object is roughly 440 light years away in a binary, or double, star system, and is believed to be twice the size of Jupiter. It orbits its host star at a distance similar to that of Neptune's distance from the sun. 'Like a cappuccino' Maio described finding the potential planet in the disk in a uniquely Italian way. "The disk is like a cappuccino. The planet is like a spoon in the cappuccino. And when you move the spoon inside the cappuccino, you start to form spirals," he said. Though scientists have previously observed the spirals, Maio says this is the first time they've been able to see what is potentially causing them. "We are not able until now to see the planet that perturbed and generated a spiral," he said. "So you already see this cappuccino with spirals, but we never see the spoons." The discovery was made using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and its Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) instrument at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile. The disk itself was imaged by another team of astronomers using a different instrument called SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch), which can block out the light of a star in order to see if there are any objects around it. But the previous researchers didn't find anything orbiting the star. Still, researchers say it's promising. "This is an interesting observation. People have been seeing these spiral structures in protoplanetary disks for a long time," said Hanno Rein, an associate professor at the University of Toronto and an exoplanet researcher who was not part of the study. "What's usually missing is the object that is actually creating those spiral arms, or that is forming in those disks. And this team here seems to have found one strong candidate of an object that is at the base of one of those spiral arms that might be a planet forming." 2 stars, different environments Another interesting twist to this discovery is that there is another star in the system, whose environment is very different. The pair are collectively known as HD 135344AB. The star that this potential planet is orbiting is HD 135344B. Both stars are roughly the same age, Maio said. Yet, the other star in the system — HD 135344A — has no protoplanetary disk. "This is very interesting, scientifically speaking, because we don't know why two very similar stars evolved together as two different systems," Maio said. Earlier this month, astronomers looked at the second star with ESO's VLT and SPHERE instrument and found a planet with roughly 10 times Jupiter's mass. While that's one mystery, the question of whether or not there is a protoplanet in the disk of gas and dust from Monday's study will need further investigating, Maio said, and will likely require using other wavelengths to look.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What are these strange swirls around an infant star? 'We may be watching a planet come into existence in real time'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have seen what appears to be a forming planet carving out a complex pattern in a disk of gas and dust around a young star. The discovery of this spiral architect could help us better understand how planetary systems like the solar system came to be. The infant extrasolar planet, or "exoplanet," is creating a spiral arm pattern in the planet-forming protoplanetary disk of the 10 million-year-old star HD 135344B, also known as SAO 206462, located in the Scorpius OB2-3 star-forming region. If 10 million years old doesn't seem particularly young, remember the sun is considered middle-aged — and its around 4.6 billion years old. The discovery of the potential planetary culprit for this swirling spiral pattern was made using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and its Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph ERIS) instrument. It may represent the first time astronomers have witnessed a planet actively forming within a protoplanetary disk. "We will never witness the formation of Earth, but here, around a young star 440 light-years away, we may be watching a planet come into existence in real time," Francesco Maio, study team leader and a researcher at the University of Florence, said in a statement. Maio and colleagues estimate this budding planet is around twice as large as Jupiter. It orbits HD 135344B at a similar distance to Neptune's orbit around the sun. That's about 30 times the distance between Earth and the sun. And as this potential planet seems to carve channels into the protoplanetary disk of HD 135344B, it is gathering material to further facilitate its growth. Baby exoplanet sweeps up stellar leftovers Stars form from overly dense cool patches in vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust, which collapse under their own gravity. As these stars continue to grow, swirling clouds of gas and dust called protoplanetary disks settle around them. It is within this disk that planets will be born. Astronomers predict that when this happens, these infant worlds sweep up material to build their own masses, creating intricate structures like rings and channels similar to the grooves in a record, and spirals resembling the spiral arms of the Milky Way. However, catching these exoplanet sculptors has been challenging. Exemplifying this is the fact that astronomers had previously detected the spiral structure of HD 135344B's protoplanetary disk, using the VLT Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument — but had missed evidence of a planet causing it. However, ERIS allowed the VLT and its operators to dive deeper into this protoplanetary disk, revealing a prime suspect for its shape: a hidden exoplanet sculptor. This potential baby planet lurks at the base of one of the disk's spiral arms. That is exactly where scientists have predicted such a spiral-sculpting infant planet should dwell. Related Stories: — New kind of pulsar may explain how mysterious 'black widow' systems evolve — Hear 'black widow' pulsar's song as it destroys companion —NASA X-ray spacecraft reveals secrets of a powerful, spinning neutron star "What makes this detection potentially a turning point is that, unlike many previous observations, we are able to directly detect the signal of the protoplanet, which is still highly embedded in the disk,' Maio explained. "This gives us a much higher level of confidence in the planet's existence, as we're observing the planet's own light." The team's research was published on Monday (July 21) in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Astronomers capture images of the birth of a distant planet
Astronomers have captured incredible images of the birth of a distant planet. The planet orbits the star HD 135344B, which is located around 440 light–years from Earth. The stunning snaps show the planet beginning to sculpt spirals of dust and gas around its home star. The scientists who made the discovery say that the planet is likely twice the size of Jupiter and is as far from its star as Neptune is from the Sun. Planets are formed from spinning halos of hot material known as protoplanetary discs , which form around very young stars. As planets start to form, they 'sweep' their orbits to produce intricate patterns of rings, gaps, and spirals in the dust. Although astronomers have spotted these patterns in the past, this is the first time anyone has caught one of these planetary sculptures in the act. Lead author Francesco Maio, a doctoral researcher at the University of Florence, says: 'We will never witness the formation of Earth, but here, around a young star 440 light–years away, we may be watching a planet come into existence in real time.' The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) first spotted the spiral patterns around HD 135344B back in 2016. However, the equipment used in those early studies wasn't sensitive enough to confirm whether there was a protoplanet – the first stage of planetary formation – within the rings. In a new study, published today in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, researchers have used the VLT's new Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) to pinpoint the planet's likely location. Mr Maio and his co–authors spotted a 'planet candidate' – something strongly believed to be a planet – right at the base of one of the disc's spiral arms. If these spirals were caused by a planet disturbing the ring of dust, that is exactly where astronomers would expect the planet to be. What makes these observations so special is that the astronomers were actually able to capture light coming directly from the planet itself. This is a significant piece of evidence in favour of the theory that gaps and rings in protoplanetary disks around other stars are hiding protoplanets of their own. Mr Maio says: 'What makes this detection potentially a turning point is that, unlike many previous observations, we are able to directly detect the signal of the protoplanet, which is still highly embedded in the disc. These observations could also help shed light on how the planets in our own solar system formed over four billion years ago. At the same time, a second group of researchers have used ERIS to spot another potential planet forming around another young, distant star. V960 Mon sits roughly 5,000 light years from Earth and is believed to be extremely young. When astronomers first found captured images of it in 2023, they found that the star was spitting out arms of gas and dust wider than our entire Milky Way. In this new study, astronomers found that the spiral arms are 'fragmenting' in a way that suggests a process known as 'gravitational instability' is at play. Planets normally form like snowballs rolling down a hill, as matter collides and clumps together into ever bigger lumps – this is known as core accretion. But sometimes, when the gas and dust are cooler and further from the host star, matter will slowly pull itself together under gravity and form clumps that collapse into the core of a planet. Scientists believe this is how gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn typically form. If this is what has caused the fragmentation around V960 Mons, it would be the first time that anyone has ever seen a planet forming via gravitational instability. However, astronomers now say that something even stranger could be lurking around V960 Mons. The researchers believe that the object could be a 'brown dwarf', an object bigger than a planet that didn't gain enough mass to shine as a star. These giant planets can be between 13 and 80 times the size of Jupiter and typically orbit far out from their companion stars. Likewise, no one has yet captured the exact moment that one of these mysterious objects comes into existence.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Watch the birth of a new PLANET: Incredible images show a distant world sculpting spirals of dust around it
Astronomers have captured incredible images of the birth of a distant planet. The planet orbits the star HD 135344B, which is located around 440 light–years from Earth. The stunning snaps show the planet beginning to sculpt spirals of dust and gas around its home star. The scientists who made the discovery say that the planet is likely twice the size of Jupiter and is as far from its star as Neptune is from the Sun. Planets are formed from spinning halos of hot material known as protoplanetary discs, which form around very young stars. As planets start to form, they 'sweep' their orbits to produce intricate patterns of rings, gaps, and spirals in the dust. Although astronomers have spotted these patterns in the past, this is the first time anyone has caught one of these planetary sculptures in the act. Lead author Francesco Maio, a doctoral researcher at the University of Florence, says: 'We will never witness the formation of Earth, but here, around a young star 440 light–years away, we may be watching a planet come into existence in real time.' The star HD 135344B has a distinctive spiral pattern, which astronomers believe is caused by a young planet starting to disturb the cloud of gas and dust which spins around young stars The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) first spotted the spiral patterns around HD 135344B back in 2016. However, the equipment used in those early studies wasn't sensitive enough to confirm whether there was a protoplanet – the first stage of planetary formation – within the rings. In a new study, published today in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, researchers have used the VLT's new Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS) to pinpoint the planet's likely location. Mr Maio and his co–authors spotted a 'planet candidate' – something strongly believed to be a planet – right at the base of one of the disc's spiral arms. If these spirals were caused by a planet disturbing the ring of dust, that is exactly where astronomers would expect the planet to be. What makes these observations so special is that the astronomers were actually able to capture light coming directly from the planet itself. This is a significant piece of evidence in favour of the theory that gaps and rings in protoplanetary disks around other stars are hiding protoplanets of their own. Mr Maio says: 'What makes this detection potentially a turning point is that, unlike many previous observations, we are able to directly detect the signal of the protoplanet, which is still highly embedded in the disc. These observations could also help shed light on how the planets in our own solar system formed over four billion years ago. At the same time, a second group of researchers have used ERIS to spot another potential planet forming around another young, distant star. V960 Mon sits roughly 5,000 light years from Earth and is believed to be extremely young. When astronomers first found captured images of it in 2023, they found that the star was spitting out arms of gas and dust wider than our entire Milky Way. In this new study, astronomers found that the spiral arms are 'fragmenting' in a way that suggests a process known as 'gravitational instability' is at play. Planets normally form like snowballs rolling down a hill, as matter collides and clumps together into ever bigger lumps – this is known as core accretion. But sometimes, when the gas and dust are cooler and further from the host star, matter will slowly pull itself together under gravity and form clumps that collapse into the core of a planet. Scientists believe this is how gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn typically form. Researchers have also spotted an object around the star V960 Mons. They believe this may be a planet or brown dwarf forming through a process called gravitational instability. This would be the first time that anyone has seen this process in action If this is what has caused the fragmentation around V960 Mons, it would be the first time that anyone has ever seen a planet forming via gravitational instability. However, astronomers now say that something even stranger could be lurking around V960 Mons. The researchers believe that the object could be a 'brown dwarf', an object bigger than a planet that didn't gain enough mass to shine as a star. These giant planets can be between 13 and 80 times the size of Jupiter and typically orbit far out from their companion stars. Likewise, no one has yet captured the exact moment that one of these mysterious objects comes into existence. Planets are formed from a cloud of dust and gas within a nebula According to our current understanding, a star and its planets form out of a collapsing cloud of dust and gas within a larger cloud called a nebula. As gravity pulls material in the collapsing cloud closer together, the centre of the cloud gets more and more compressed and, in turn, gets hotter. This dense, hot core becomes the kernel of a new star. Meanwhile, inherent motions within the collapsing cloud cause it to churn. As the cloud gets exceedingly compressed, much of the cloud begins rotating in the same direction. The rotating cloud eventually flattens into a disk that gets thinner as it spins, kind of like a spinning clump of dough flattening into the shape of a pizza.
Sustainability Times
21-07-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
For the First Time in History, Astronomers Capture the Moment a Distant Solar System Is Born in Deep Space
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 Scientists observed the formation of a new solar system around HOPS-315 , 1,300 light-years away. , 1,300 light-years away. 🔭 Advanced telescopes JWST and ALMA captured the condensation of solid particles from hot gas. and captured the condensation of solid particles from hot gas. 🔥 The discovery reveals the role of high-temperature minerals like forsterite and enstatite in planetary formation. and in planetary formation. 🌟 Findings provide insights into the early conditions similar to those that shaped our own solar system. In a groundbreaking moment for astronomy, scientists have observed the birth of a new solar system, offering a rare glimpse into the universe's early stages. Utilizing some of the world's most advanced telescopes, researchers have captured the initial phases of planet formation around a young star located 1,300 light-years away. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of how planetary systems like our own are formed but also highlights the remarkable advances in observational technology. The findings provide a window into the processes that have shaped our cosmic neighborhood, allowing us to explore the intricate dance of creation occurring in the distant reaches of space. Unveiling the Birth of a New Solar System At the heart of this discovery is the young protostar, HOPS-315, nestled within the Orion B molecular cloud. This region, located approximately 1,300 light-years away, serves as a cradle for new stars and planets. For the first time, scientists have detected the initial condensation of solid particles from hot gas, marking the earliest phase of planet formation. This process was captured using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), two cutting-edge instruments that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe. The significance of this discovery cannot be overstated. By observing the very beginning of planetary formation, researchers can draw parallels to the early history of our own solar system. The solid particles identified around HOPS-315 are akin to the building blocks that eventually coalesced into the planets orbiting our Sun today. This insight provides a unique opportunity to study the conditions necessary for planet formation and the factors that influence the birth of solar systems. 'They Finally Found the Universe's Missing Matter!': Astronomers Stagger the Scientific World by Pinpointing Hidden Material in Colossal Cosmic Webs The Role of Advanced Telescopic Technology The unprecedented detail of this observation was made possible by the JWST and ALMA, which allowed scientists to peer deep into the disk surrounding HOPS-315. These telescopes detected the presence of silicon monoxide, a key component in the formation of silicate minerals. These minerals were found condensing at a distance comparable to the asteroid belt in our solar system, illustrating the early stages of planet formation. Edwin Bergin, an astrophysicist at the University of Michigan, emphasized the novelty of this finding, highlighting its significance in understanding the formation of protoplanetary disks. The detailed imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of JWST and ALMA enabled researchers to map the distribution of minerals within the disk. This information is crucial for understanding how solid materials accumulate and eventually form planets. By comparing these observations with models of our solar system's early development, scientists can refine their theories and gain deeper insights into the processes that govern planetary formation across the galaxy. 'Like Nothing Ever Seen Before': Astronomers Discover a Colossal Milky Way Cloud Containing the Mass of 160,000 Suns Tracing the Path of Planetary Formation The discovery around HOPS-315 offers a glimpse into the intricate mechanisms that govern the formation of planets. The detection of high-temperature minerals, such as forsterite and enstatite, suggests that intense heat plays a critical role in the early stages of planet formation. These minerals, which are similar to those found in meteorites on Earth, provide evidence of the processes that shaped our own solar system billions of years ago. The concept of a 'thermostat region,' where temperature and pressure conditions allow for the condensation of specific elements, is crucial for understanding how planets form. In the case of HOPS-315, this region is characterized by a delicate balance between vaporization and recondensation, leading to the formation of crystalline minerals. By studying these processes, scientists can unravel the complexities of planetary evolution and gain valuable insights into the factors that influence the formation of diverse celestial bodies. 'NASA Unveils Cosmic Spectacle': Stunning New Images and Sounds of Andromeda Galaxy Leave Astronomers in Absolute Awe A Window into the Universe's Past The study of HOPS-315 not only provides insights into the birth of new solar systems but also serves as a window into the universe's past. By analyzing the spectra collected through JWST's infrared cameras, researchers have confirmed the presence of key minerals and gas-phase molecules, shedding light on the conditions that prevailed during the early stages of star and planet formation. This discovery underscores the importance of understanding the conditions under which solid matter begins to form around new stars. By identifying the chemical composition and motion of these materials, scientists can piece together the puzzle of planetary evolution. The insights gained from this research have far-reaching implications for our understanding of the universe and the processes that shaped the celestial bodies we observe today. As we continue to explore the cosmos, the discovery of HOPS-315 serves as a reminder of the endless possibilities that await us. With advanced telescopic technology and a deeper understanding of planetary formation, we are poised to uncover more secrets hidden within the universe. How will these discoveries reshape our understanding of the cosmos and our place within it? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (28)
