Published by: Francen Anne Perez
Date Published: July 28, 2025
Time Published: 7:06 AM
For the first time, astronomers have captured the birth of a planet around a baby protostar named HOPS-315, located about 1,300 light-years away from Earth, on July 16.
Scientists were able to make observations and gather data with the use of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an array of 66 radio telescopes located in the desert of Northern Chile.
HOPS-315 is considered a protostar, meaning that it currently is in the earliest stage of stellar evolution.
These young stars are often surrounded by "protoplanetary discs," rotating clouds of gas and dust where planets can form.
“For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation begins around a star other than our Sun,” Melissa McClure, lead scientist from Leiden University said.
“We’re seeing a system that looks like what our Solar System looked like when it was just beginning to form,” Merel van ’t Hoff, assistant professor from Purdue University explained.
The team detected traces of hot materials such as silicon monoxide (SiO) and crystalline minerals condensing around the disc surrounding HOPS-315. This finding suggests that it is only at the first phase of planetary formation.
“This process has never been seen before in a protoplanetary disc—or anywhere outside our Solar System,” Edwin Bergin, co-author and professor from the University of Michigan stated.
Scientists believe this discovery provides a real-time view on how planets were formed billions of years ago.
Further studies using JWST and ALMA are prepared to find more young star systems at this stage of planet development.
This breakthrough could change our perspective of planetary systems, as it shows that rocky planets may form more commonly across the universe than previously believed.
REFERENCES:
[1] European Southern Observatory (ESO). (2025, July 20). Astronomers just witnessed planets being born around a baby star 1300 light-years away. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250720084807.htm
[2] Lea, R. (2025, July 16). Astronomers witness the birth of a planetary system for the 1st time (video). Space. https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-witness-the-birth-of-a-planetary-system-for-the-1st-time-photo-video
[3] TOI Science Desk. (2025, July 19). Birth of planet captured: Astronomers share rare glimpses of newborn planet about 1,300 light-yrs away - watch. Times Of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/birth-of-planet-captured-astronomers-share-rare-glimpses-of-newborn-planet-about-1300-light-yrs-away-watch/articleshow/122784135.cms
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