20/07/2025
In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have captured the first-ever image of planet formation in progress around a baby star, offering a rare glimpse into the early stages of how solar systems like ours are born. Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Chile’s Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), researchers observed HOPS-315, a young star located about 1,300 light-years away, surrounded by hot minerals just beginning to solidify—a critical first step in the formation of planets. The findings were published on July 16 in the journal Nature, marking a major milestone in space exploration and our understanding of planetary birth.
The stunning image reveals a butterfly-shaped outflow of carbon monoxide (orange) and a glowing blue jet of silicon monoxide, highlighting a moment rarely caught by science. This early phase, lasting only 100,000 to 200,000 years, shows the transformation of gas into solids like silicates and carbon compounds—the very materials that once formed Earth and other rocky planets. Scientists believe this discovery could unlock new insights into how organic compounds and planets emerge from swirling disks of dust and gas. With this success, researchers now plan to explore other young star systems, bringing us one step closer to understanding our cosmic origins.