Post

Paul Byrne
@theplanetaryguy.com

This is a real image of what a new solar system looks like. The light from the central star is blocked, so it's possible to see the lanes of cleared-up dust around it. And that small, yellowish blob at lower right? That's a whole, brand new planet.

123 reposts430 likes

Paul Byrne
@theplanetaryguy.com

That planet is called WISPIT 2b, and is a gas giant approximately five times the mass of Jupiter. It orbits way, way farther out than Jupiter does the Sun, though—about 11 times farther out. The star, WISPIT 2, is thought to be only around 5 million years old, and is around 437 lightyears away.

NoIQ
@noiq15.bsky.social

Has this or similar observations help define/refine/select among existing models of planetary formation? I don't recall a solid model from back in my day.