protoplanet

New images reportedly show a protoplanet forming around a young star 440 light-years from Earth. The pictures are credited to photographer Pesala Bandara and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. The object is described as Jupiter-like, and the images are being shared as a rare glimpse of planet formation in progress.

Astronomers have released a new observation showing, for the first time, a planet in the process of forming. The image captures a protoplanet embedded in the gas and dust disc around the young star WISPIT 2b's system, offering a rare direct look at planet birth. Science commentators say such observations help test theories of how gas giants grow.