New baby planet was discovered at the University of Arizona

Astronomers at the University of Arizona discovered a growing planet outside of our solar system. The baby planet is embedded in a cleared gap of a multi-ringed disk of dust and gas, a development that has never been seen before.

Led by astronomers, Laird Close and Richelle van Capelleveen, the planet was discovered using the university’s MagAO-X extreme adaptive optics system in Chile.

Astronomers have been observing dozens of planets similar to this, being formed in disks of dust and gas surrounding young stars; however, no developing plants have been seen in the conspicuous disk gaps, which appear as dark rings.

University of Arizona Astronomer Laird Close, joined “Arizona Horizon” to provide more details on the formation of the new planet.

Image courtesy of University of Arizona.