A new solar system is forming nearby
- 5 years ago
ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE — A team of researchers have detected planets forming around a young star similar to the sun according to a press release from ALMA.
According to the paper published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, DM Tau is located in the Taurus constellation 470 light-years away from Earth. It is between three and five million years old and weighs roughly half the mass of the sun.
The researchers spotted the system forming using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array known as ALMA.
ALMA is a radio telescope that captures radio waves from the universe. It is located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.
Using the ALMA, scientists were able to view two rings of dust forming around the star. The inner ring is 4 astronomical units, known as AU, from the star and the second ring is 20 AU away. Scientists believe this is where the planets are forming.
The team hopes to gain a better understanding of the origin of planets like Earth by studying the formation of this neighboring solar system.
According to the paper published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, DM Tau is located in the Taurus constellation 470 light-years away from Earth. It is between three and five million years old and weighs roughly half the mass of the sun.
The researchers spotted the system forming using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array known as ALMA.
ALMA is a radio telescope that captures radio waves from the universe. It is located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.
Using the ALMA, scientists were able to view two rings of dust forming around the star. The inner ring is 4 astronomical units, known as AU, from the star and the second ring is 20 AU away. Scientists believe this is where the planets are forming.
The team hopes to gain a better understanding of the origin of planets like Earth by studying the formation of this neighboring solar system.