The latest planet discovery was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by scientists. They used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile to detect gas in a planetary disk, which is a collection of dust and debris found around young planets.
AS 209 is a young star located in the Ophiuchus constellation, where scientists have identified the potential presence of one of the youngest exoplanets to date. Screenshot image.
According to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which collaborated with ALMA, this discovery indicates the presence of a very young exoplanet. An exoplanet refers to a planet found outside the Solar System.
Specifically, while studying AS 209—a young star located 395 light-years away in the Ophiuchus constellation—astronomers observed “a bright spot emitting from a gap in the gas surrounding the star.” This led to the discovery of a planetary disk surrounding a potential planet with a mass similar to that of Earth.
Researchers are closely monitoring the newly discovered planet, which is located approximately 29.9 billion kilometers from its host star. This distance challenges current theories about planetary formation that are widely accepted.
“And if the estimated age of only 1.6 million years for the host star is correct, then this exoplanet could be one of the youngest ever discovered,” noted the NRAO.
According to the organization, the new observations of AS 209 could provide further insights into the development of planetary atmospheres and the processes by which moons are formed.
This star system has also attracted scientific interest for over five years due to the presence of seven nested rings. Researchers believe this is related to planet formation.
Scientists emphasize the need for further research to confirm the existence of this new planet. Astronomers are hopeful that upcoming observations with the James Webb Space Telescope will confirm the presence of the new planet.
“The best way to study planet formation is to observe planets while they are forming. We are living in an exciting time when this can be done thanks to powerful observatories like ALMA and James Webb,” stated Jaehan Bae, an astronomy professor at the University of Florida and the lead author of the paper.