Astronomers have, for the first time, observed the earliest signs of rocky planet formation circling a young star akin to our sun. This discovery, offering a look at the early days of our own solar system, was made possible by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s ALMA array in Chile. These powerful tools allowed researchers to scrutinize the gas disk surrounding the nascent star HOPS-315, which is approximately 1,370 light-years away and is between 100,000 to 200,000 years old, indicating its infancy in cosmic terms.
“This marks a direct observation of the hot region where rocky planets, similar to Earth, are born around young protostars,” stated the study’s lead researcher, Melissa McClure of Leiden Observatory. “For the first time, we have definitive evidence that the initial steps of planet formation are currently unfolding.”
The experts believe their findings illustrate a common process during the budding stage of planet formation. Their study identified the presence of silicate minerals and silicon monoxide gas, the same materials thought to have fashioned Earth and other rocky planets in our solar system about 4.5 billion years ago. This phenomenon is occurring in a zone analogous to our solar system’s asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, a region previously unobserved in such young stellar systems.
The study concludes that while it’s uncertain how many planets might emerge from HOPS-315, its sizable gas disk could potentially birth as many as eight planets, akin to our solar system. However, this process could span a million years or more.
Other experts, like Fred Ciesla from the University of Chicago, welcome this breakthrough, suggesting it opens up “a rich opportunity” for further study. Astronomers now anticipate that similar discoveries will shed light on the prevalence of planet formation and the possibility of Earth-like planets being a universal phenomenon or a unique cosmic occurrence.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/astronomers-capture-dawn-of-new-solar-system-for-1st-time/a-73341248?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
