Youngest exoplanet discovery sheds light on early formations
The new exoplanet is the youngest ever discovered in the history of research and is located over 500 million light-years away from us. This discovery represents a breakthrough in studying planet development much earlier than possible.
We are talking about a planet outside our Solar System that slightly dims its light when passing in front of its star. This phenomenon provides clues for research teams worldwide to search for such planets. Astronomers have recently found the youngest one, aged below 3 million years.
The discovery will help us learn more about planet formation
Scientists discovered a planet orbiting a star formed about 3 million years ago. Because it passes in front of the star from Earth's perspective, it allows us to observe how its light filters through the atmosphere. This is a unique discovery because the planet orbits a star nearly three times younger than other stars with transiting planets. It is assumed that planets form after stars, making this planet likely even younger than its star.
As reported by the scientific journal "Nature," where the latest research was published, scientists identified a dozen planets transiting stars aged between 10 and 40 million years. Researchers believe many factors might explain the lack of detection of very young planets, including disks around young stars composed mainly of gas and dust. Parts of these disks hinder the observation of transiting planets. However, some of these disks are disrupted, allowing the discovery of new planets, as in the case of IRAS 04125+2902 b.
The new exoplanet is almost as large as Jupiter
The planet's radius is 4% smaller than Jupiter's, making it 11 times wider than Earth. Despite its size, its density is significantly lower, reaching only up to 30% of Jupiter’s mass. Over time, it will likely decrease to have a mass similar to Saturn or even Neptune.
The new planet, completing its transit in just 9 days, already receives a lot of heat, which will increase as the star evolves. The planet may also be hot due to gravitational collapse, consistent with previous observations of young planets. The IRAS 04125+2902 b planetary system is about 521 light-years away from us. Being closer than most discovered planets, it offers additional research opportunities.
The search for Earth-like atmospheres beyond the Solar System is a popular theme in exoplanet research. However, observing young planets, even those unlike Earth, can provide valuable information about the planet formation process. In this context, discovering the planet IRAS 04125+2902 b represents significant progress. We know more about the star around which the new exoplanet orbits; it has 70% of the Sun's mass, is just 3.3 million years old, and originates from the Taurus Molecular Cloud.
