Multiple planets forming in distant solar system observed for the first time
NOV 19, 2015
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029388
Washington Post : Two protoplanets, and possibly a third, have been observed in the process of forming some 450 light-years from Earth around a star called LkCa 15. Planets are believed to form from the disk of gas and other material left over after the star is created. Although such planet-type objects would be hard to see because of the star’s brightness, the scientists trained their high-powered telescopes on the signature red glow of hydrogen gas as it is emitted by the star and falls toward the accreting protoplanets. The technique could be used to find more protoplanets and shed light on planetary formation.
© 2015. American Institute of Physics