Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Astronomers Catch a Planet in the Act of Being Born


It’s rather strange to think about catching a planet in the act of being born given that the process takes millions of years but for the first time, astronomers have done just that! The evidence reveals a planet actively forming and feeding from its surrounding disk of gas and dust. The discovery of hydrogen emission from the protoplanet offers a new glimpse into the violent stages of planetary formation, revealing processes that shaped our own Solar System billions of years ago.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on Universe Today

Read more on:

Photo of Planet

Planet

Photo of Astronomers

Astronomers

Photo of Act

Act

Related news:

News photo

An Arctic researcher explains Yedoma, the permafrost keeping the planet livable. “Everybody on Earth is dependent on the boreal forest shielding this permafrost from thawing.”

News photo

Astronomers discover rogue black hole speeding through distant dwarf galaxy

News photo

Astronomers finally find elusive, dust-shrouded supermassive black holes at ‘Cosmic Dawn’