Chapter 1: The Birth of a Planetary System

Recent observations made by the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile have unveiled compelling evidence of a new planetary system in the process of formation. Over the past twenty years, astronomers have identified thousands of exoplanets. However, our understanding of their formation remains limited. This recent study marks a significant breakthrough, as researchers have successfully observed the early stages of planet formation.

New celestial bodies typically emerge from the dusty discs surrounding young stars. In this case, astronomers focused their attention on the disc enveloping the young star AB Aurigae, where they detected a distinct spiral structure featuring a notable ‘twist’—a potential indicator of an emerging planet. This groundbreaking research was spearheaded by Anthony Bocaletti from the Observatoire de Paris, PSL University in France.

This marks the first instance where scientists have captured high-resolution images of a nascent star system, which could provide essential insights into the processes that govern the formation of new planetary systems. The clarity of these images allowed researchers to accurately identify the ‘twist’ that signifies where a new planet might be developing.

“While thousands of exoplanets have been detected, our understanding of their formation is still in its infancy. Observing very young systems is crucial for capturing the precise moment of planet formation.” ~ Anthony Bocaletti, Study Lead

Chapter 2: The Mystery of AB Aurigae

The star AB Aurigae resides approximately 520 light-years from Earth in the constellation Auriga. The spiral patterns observed in the study are commonly associated with the formation of new planets. As one of the researchers explained, the gas surrounding the star is disturbed in wave patterns, which morph into spiral arms as the planet orbits the star.

The vibrant ‘twist’ identified by the researchers in the images of AB Aurigae is situated at a distance analogous to that of Neptune from the Sun in our solar system, making it a prime candidate for planetary formation. Prior observations of this star system were conducted a few years ago by ESO’s Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which revealed two spiral arms of gas in the inner region of the disc.

Building upon these earlier findings, Anthony Bocaletti and a collaborative team of astronomers from France, Taiwan, the United States, and Belgium utilized SPHERE’s advanced imaging capabilities on the VLT. The images obtained not only highlighted the dim light from smaller dust particles and emissions from the inner disc but also affirmed the existence of the spiral arms initially identified by ALMA.

In an exciting development, ESO is currently working on the construction of the 39-meter Extremely Large Telescope, which promises to enhance our understanding of the formation of these distant worlds.

Complete research details can be found in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal. Stay updated with the latest findings—sign up for my mailing list.