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- Astronomers capture the birth of a solar system (nbcnews.com)
Astronomers Glimpse ‘Time Zero’ of Planet Formation Around Infant Star
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have observed the earliest stages of rocky planet formation around a young, sun-like star, offering a glimpse into the infancy of planetary systems like our own. The research, published in Nature, reveals a “time zero” snapshot of planet formation.
An international team, led by Melissa McClure of Leiden Observatory, used the combined power of NASA’s Webb Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Alma telescope network in Chile to study HOPS-315, a nascent yellow dwarf star located roughly 1,370 light-years away. While significantly younger than our sun, at just 100,000 to 200,000 years old, HOPS-315 provides a unique opportunity to witness planetary genesis in action.
The team detected solid specks of condensing material within the thick gas disk encircling the star. These specks, composed of silicon monoxide gas and crystalline silicate minerals, are believed to be the building blocks of future planets.
This process mirrors what scientists believe occurred in our solar system over 4.5 billion years ago. The location of this activity is comparable to our own asteroid belt, a region between Mars and Jupiter thought to contain leftover planetary building materials.
“We’ve captured a direct glimpse of the hot region where rocky planets like Earth are born around young protostars,” McClure explained. “For the first time, we can conclusively say that the first steps of planet formation are happening right now.” This discovery confirms that the early condensation of hot minerals, previously only theorized, is likely a common process in planetary system formation.
The observation was made possible by a gap in HOPS-315’s outer disk and its fortunate tilt towards Earth, allowing astronomers to peer into the inner workings of the system. The ESO’s Alma telescope captured a striking image of the system, resembling a glowing lightning bug against the backdrop of space.
While the exact number of planets that might eventually form around HOPS-315 remains unknown, its massive gas disk, comparable in size to what our sun likely possessed, suggests the possibility of a system with up to eight planets in the distant future.
Co-author Merel van ’t Hoff of Purdue University emphasized the importance of finding and studying more nascent planetary systems to understand the diversity of planet formation and the likelihood of Earth-like planets elsewhere in the universe. “Are there Earth-like planets out there,” van ‘t Hoff questioned, “or are we so special that we might not expect it to occur very often?”
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- Astronomers capture the birth of a solar system (nbcnews.com)