New image from Very Large Telescope reveals possible young star in process of birthing a massive planet
In a captivating discovery, researchers have managed to snap an image of what they believe to be a colossal planet in the making, nestled in the orbit of a young star. This stunning image was taken using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope based in Chile.
The image showcases the star surrounded by a mesmerizing, swirling disk of gas and dust, with a distinct, dark ring within the disk that hints at the gravity of a young, gas-giant planet gradually amassing material as it carves its path around the star.
Lead-author of the study, Christian Ginski, a physics lecturer at the University of Galway in Ireland, describes this potential exoplanet as being "a few times the mass of Jupiter". He even likened the planet's effect on the surrounding material to a vacuum cleaner, sucking up all the dust as it orbits the star.
This discovery could potentially mark a rare instance of a planet detected while still in its infancy. Ginski and his team have simulated the possible giant exoplanet within the disk, hoping to validate its presence using the James Webb Space Telescope in the near future. Their findings were published on the preprint database arXiv, with the paper set for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
The young star at the center of this celestial spectacle is known as 2MASSJ1612, a mere 430 light-years away from our solar system. Previous studies have already hinted at a potential gap in this star's disk, whetting the researchers' appetite for closer investigation. The recent observational data from scattered near-infrared light revealed previously unseen details, including two spiral arms emanating from the center of the disk.
Ginski notes that these spiral arms form due to the planet's gravitational pull on the disk, similar to the ripples caused by throwing a stone into a pond. By studying such young protoplanetary systems, researchers like Ginski aim to understand the diverse range of planetary systems and the forces needed to create a solar system similar to our own.
At present, there is only one confirmed young planet in its infancy, with a few more candidates under investigation. With the James Webb Space Telescope's advanced infrared capabilities, astronomers believe they could verify the existence of more young planets like the one detected around 2MASSJ1612.
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The discovery of the potential exoplanet, with a mass similar to a few times that of Jupiter, was made using science and technology, specifically the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. In an effort to validate and observe this giant exoplanet further, the team intends to use the James Webb Space Telescope, a significant instrument in the field of space-and-astronomy.
