Astronomers have discovered the earliest stages of rocky planet formation around a young, sun-like star for the first time. The discovery was made in the vicinity of a yellow dwarf star called HOPS-315, which is located about 1,370 light-years away and is only 100,000–200,000 years old.
The scientists observed a hot zone of gas and dust where the embryos of future planets are forming.
The study was published in the journal Nature.
The study’s lead author, Melissa McClure, said that for the first time, it was possible to document the actual process of rocky planet formation.
Fred Ciesla of the University of Chicago stressed that this discovery was long-awaited in the field of astronomy. The observations were made using joint observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory.
