October 16, 2022
According to scientists, planets originate from protoplanetary disks, which are rings of thick dust and gas that surround newly formed stars. Though scientists have come across many such disks in the universe, they have been unable to observe the formation and development of a planet so far.
Using a new technique, scientists at the Harvard and Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in USA have discovered a baby planet, approximately the size of Neptune, in a protoplanetary disk. The disk called LkCa 15 is approximately 518 light years away from Earth. The newly discovered baby planet is believed to be between one and three million years old.
Did You Know?
Planets may take tens of millions of years to form.
Image for representational purposes
