New Planet Confirmed by Researchers

Monash University astronomers have confirmed the formation of a protoplanet in the HD 169142 system using near-infrared images captured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. The protoplanet is located approximately 37 au from the star and has carved a gap in the disk surrounding it. The planet is buried in a significant amount of dust, which reflects stellar light, and is expected to have a circumplanetary disk that could form small satellites such as moons. The discovery of HD 169142 b is the third exoplanet to be imaged during formation, and it is an exciting target for the recently deployed James Webb Space Telescope.