Canadian Researchers Unveil New Insights into Planet Formation in ‘Cosmic Nursery’
A groundbreaking study is providing a clearer view of how planets form alongside stars, marking an exciting step toward understanding planetary development and atmospheric formation, according to lead researcher Dori Blakely, a doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria.
Scientists have long understood that planets take shape by accumulating mass from the gas and dust left over after star formation—a process known as accretion. However, Blakely’s study utilized a specialized setting on a Canadian-built instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescope to closely examine this process in its later stages, focusing on two developing planets orbiting the young star PDS 70.
These planets formed in the gap between PDS 70 and its surrounding protoplanetary disk—a pancake-like ring of gas and dust. Discovered about five years ago, the planets were later found to be encircled by “very cool dust,” suggesting the presence of circumplanetary disks that could eventually give rise to moons.
The latest findings, published in the Astronomical Journal, go further by uncovering convincing evidence of warm dust near the forming planets. “We’re seeing material much closer to the planets, being heated by their emissions,” Blakely explained. This discovery sheds light on the development of Jupiter-like planets, their atmospheres, and potentially, the birth of their moons.
While no exomoons were detected, the study offers valuable insights into the structure of circumplanetary disks, a crucial component of moon formation. Blakely emphasized that this research is just one step in unraveling the mysteries of planetary and atmospheric evolution. “It’s not the final answer, but it helps us understand how planets might acquire molecules like water in their atmospheres,” he said.
Notably, the study also marks the first direct detection of exoplanets using space-based interferometry—a technique that enhances observational detail by combining signals from multiple telescopic instruments.
PDS 70, the focal point of the study, is about five million years old—relatively young compared to our Sun’s 4.6 billion years. Located 370 light-years from Earth, the system provides a rare snapshot of planetary formation in a distant “cosmic nursery.”
Blakely noted that while these findings are based on just two planets, future observations of similar systems will help build a more comprehensive picture. “These two data points are beginning to refine our understanding of how planets come to be,” he said.
