Newfound ‘Baby’ Planet Smashes Record for Youngest Known World
Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives. Called Elias 2-24 b, the baby planet is still whirling in its natal disk of dust and gas. “Our planet-formation models already struggled to explain the previous record holders for the youngest known […] The post Newfound ‘Baby’ Planet Smashes Record for…
Astronomers have discovered a brand new 'baby' planet that is less than a million years old, setting a new record for the youngest known world. The planet, named Elias 2-24 b, orbits its host star at a distance of 450 light-years away from Earth. It is approximately as massive as Jupiter, and the star is about the same age as our own Sun.
Using archival data from NASA-funded archives, a team of astronomers confirmed the existence of this incredibly young planet. The planet is still embedded within its natal disk of dust and gas, and its formation is being actively studied by scientists. The lead author of the study, Andrea Bernardi, noted that finding this 'baby' planet provides valuable insights into our own planet formation history.
The confirmation of this youngest exoplanet sheds light on the previously elusive stage of planet formation, allowing researchers to refine current planet-formation models. As the galaxy continues to churn out new stars and planets, astronomers look forward to discovering more baby planets like Elias 2-24 b to better understand the entire process of planetary evolution.
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- Newfound ‘Baby’ Planet Smashes Record for Youngest Known World science.nasa.gov
