Galaxy's Youngest , Exoplanet Offers Insight, Into How Planets Form.
'The New York Times' reports that astronomers have found over 5,000 exoplanets over the past 30 years.
According to a study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal Letters,' scientists have found compelling evidence of a world just 1.5 million years old.
That would make it one of the youngest planets ever found, if not the youngest.
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The exoplanet is located 395 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus.
According to the team, the planet is so young that its building blocks of gas and dust are still coalescing.
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It is like looking at our own past, Myriam Benisty, co-author and an astronomer at the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble, via 'The New York Times'.
The 'NYT' reports that further telescopic observations will be needed in order to confirm the exoplanet's existence.
The 'NYT' reports that further telescopic observations will be needed in order to confirm the exoplanet's existence.
If confirmed, the exoplanet could be used to better understand how worlds are formed.
The team of scientists used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to gather data on the exoplanet.
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The 'NYT' reports that the James Webb Telescope will next be used to determine the mass of the planetary newborn and analyze its atmospheric chemistry.
The 'NYT' reports that the James Webb Telescope will next be used to determine the mass of the planetary newborn and analyze its atmospheric chemistry.
Jaehan Bae, an astronomer at the University of Florida and an author of the study, said the observation will inch us closer to answering the question: , "Where did we come from?"
