Astronomers Witness Formation of New Planetary System

Astronomers have observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, shedding light on the birth of our solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315, 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. Young stars are surrounded by protoplanetary discs where planets form. Inside these discs, crystalline minerals can clump together to form planetesimals, which eventually grow into planets. The crystalline minerals around HOPS-315 are starting to solidify, indicating the initiation of planet formation. This discovery provides insights into the early stages of planet formation around stars.

The study was led by Melissa McClure of Leiden University in the Netherlands and involved the James Webb Space Telescope and the ALMA telescope in Chile. The minerals around HOPS-315 resemble those found in the asteroid belt of our solar system, offering a glimpse into the processes that led to the formation of our own planet. This finding marks the earliest moment of planet formation observed around a star other than our sun.

According to the source: RTE.ie.