Canadian astronomers, using the James Webb Space Telescope, were able to record the process of planet formation in the PDS 70 system. This important discovery allows us to better understand the mechanisms of formation of planetary systems, including our own. The study was published in The Astronomical Journal (AJ).

How we managed to see the forming planets

The work was led by University of Victoria graduate student Dori Blakely. Scientists used a special observation mode of the NIRISS instrument on the James Webb telescope, which made it possible to reduce the brightness of the star and focus on the forming objects. Thanks to this, it was possible to examine in detail two planets - PDS 70 b and PDS 70 c, which are actively gaining mass, attracting gas and dust from the surrounding protoplanetary disk.

The PDS 70 system is located 370 light years from Earth and is considered extremely young - its age is about 5 million years. The planets in it are formed in a gas and dust disk, inside which new celestial bodies gradually emerge. In the center of the disk, scientists have discovered a huge void — a kind of construction site for future planets.

Evidence of planetary growth and possible birth of satellites

Observations have confirmed that both planets continue to accumulate matter, which is fully consistent with the theory of accretion — a process in which planets grow due to the attraction of gas and dust. In addition, scientists have recorded excess infrared radiation near the planets, which may indicate the formation of satellites around them.

It’s as if we could look into the distant past and see baby pictures of our own solar system, says Dori Blakely.

What’s next?

Astronomers plan to continue studying the PDS 70 system to find out if there are other, as yet undiscovered, planets hidden there. In the future, new observations will help clarify the processes that form young worlds and, perhaps, provide a clue to the origin of planetary systems in the Universe.