Latest news with #YSES-1
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Astronomers discover high-altitude clouds darkening skies in the YSES-1 system
Source: Astronomers observe thick slab clouds in the YSES-1 system, darkening the planet's skies. These clouds are primarily mineral dust, probably containing iron. When the clouds break, iron could rain down. Experts are studying this strange phenomenon to understand the composition and atmosphere. The discovery sheds light on the complex weather patterns in distant worlds, offering insights into the formation and behavior of exoplanetary atmospheres . Further study could reveal more about the planet's potential habitability and the role of mineral clouds in shaping its climate and surface conditions. The young planet YSES-1 gets covered by clouds According to The Guardian, the star YSES-1 is a newbie by cosmic standards, just 1 million years old, compared with the 4.6-billion-year-old Sun. The star is circled by two gas giants, both still forming and larger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system. As the astronomers studied the young star system, which lies 307 light-years away in the deep southern sky, they spotted the formation of high-altitude clouds around the planet. They were surprised to find both planets in the telescope's field of view, giving them information on two worlds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The outer planet, YSES-1c, is the smaller of the two worlds and about six times the mass of Jupiter. The telescope revealed high-altitude clouds consisting of magnesium silicate dust grains and some iron in the planet's atmosphere. The astronomers described the observations as the first direct detection of such clouds on a planet circling a Sun-like star. The data revealed a disc of material made up of trillions of tonnes of dust particles around the larger inner world, YSES-1b, about 14 times the mass of Jupiter. Researchers' view on the discovery of the young planet Dr. Kielan Hoch , an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, said, 'There's a small handful of multiplanet systems that have been directly imaged, and they are a unique laboratory to test planet formation theories as they formed in the same environment.' She added, 'Both planets are still forming, which is why they are still bright enough for us to detect. The light we are seeing is from their formation as they begin to shrink and condense.' An added mystery is why a 16-million-year-old planet still has a disk of material swirling around it. Astronomers' theories of planet formation suggest that any encircling dust should have settled after the first 5 million years. Also read | Strange X - shaped structures discovered in Earth's upper atmosphere by NASA
GMA Network
13-06-2025
- Science
- GMA Network
Webb telescope spots infant planets in different stages of development
An artist's rendition of the sun-like star YSES-1 in the center, with the planet YSES-1 b and its dusty circumplanetary disk (right) and the planet YSES-1 c with silicate clouds in its atmosphere (left), is seen in this handout image obtained by Reuters on June 11, 2025. Ellis Bogat/Handout via REUTERS/Illustration WASHINGTON - The James Webb Space Telescope has observed two large planets at different stages of infancy - one with an atmosphere brimming with dusty clouds and the other encircled by a disk of material - orbiting a young sun-like star in a discovery that illustrates the complex nature of how planetary systems develop. The two gas giant planets, both more massive than our solar system's largest planet Jupiter, were directly imaged by Webb in a planetary system located in the Milky Way galaxy about 310 light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Musca. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). Astronomers have detected more than 5,900 planets beyond our solar system - called exoplanets - since the 1990s, with less than 2% of these directly imaged like these two. It is rare to find exoplanets in their early developmental stages. The birth of a planetary system begins with a large cloud of gas and dust - called a molecular cloud - that collapses under its own gravity to form a central star. Leftover material spinning around the star in what is called a protoplanetary disk forms planets. This planetary system was observed by Webb very early in its developmental history. The star, named YSES-1, is about the same mass as the sun. The two planets orbit a long distance from the star, each probably needing thousands of years to complete a single orbit. While the sun is roughly 4.5 billion years old, this star is approximately 16 million years old, a veritable newborn. The researchers were surprised to find that the two neonatal planets observed by Webb appeared to be at different stages of development. The innermost of the two has a mass about 14 times greater than Jupiter and orbits the star at a distance 160 times greater than Earth orbits the sun and more than five times as far as our solar system's outermost planet Neptune. The planet is surrounded by a disk of small-grained dust, a state one might expect in a very early stage of formation when it is still coalescing, or perhaps if there has been a collision of some kind or a moon is in the process of taking shape. Webb spotted water and carbon monoxide in its atmosphere. The outermost planet has a mass about six times greater than that of Jupiter and orbits the star at 320 times the distance of Earth to the sun. Its atmosphere is loaded with silicate clouds, differing from our solar system's gas giants. Webb also detected methane, water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It has no disk of material around it. The puzzling combination of traits presented by these two planets in the same system illustrates "the complex landscape that is planet formation and shows how much we truly don't know about how planetary systems came to be, including our own," said astrophysicist Kielan Hoch of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, who led the study published this week in the journal Nature. "Theoretically, the planets should be forming around the same time, as planet formation happens fairly quickly, within about one million years," Hoch said. A real mystery is the location where the planets formed, Hoch added, noting that their orbital distance from the host star is greater than would be expected if they formed in the protoplanetary disk. "Furthermore, why one planet still retains material around it and one has distinct silicate clouds remains a big question. Do we expect all giant planets to form the same way and look the same if they formed in the same environment? These are questions we have been investigating for ages to place the formation of our own solar system into context," Hoch said. In addition to amassing a trove of discoveries about the early universe since becoming operational in 2022, Webb has made a major contribution to the study of exoplanets with its observations at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. "Webb is revealing all sorts of atmospheric physics and chemistry happening in exoplanets that we didn't know before, and is currently challenging every atmospheric model we used pre-Webb," Hoch said. — Reuters
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Webb telescope spots infant planets in different stages of development
An artist's rendition of the sun-like star YSES-1 in the center, with the planet YSES-1 b and its dusty circumplanetary disk (right) and the planet YSES-1 c with silicate clouds in its atmosphere (left), is seen in this handout image obtained by Reuters on June 11, 2025. Ellis Bogat/Handout via REUTERS/Illustration THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES WASHINGTON - The James Webb Space Telescope has observed two large planets at different stages of infancy - one with an atmosphere brimming with dusty clouds and the other encircled by a disk of material - orbiting a young sun-like star in a discovery that illustrates the complex nature of how planetary systems develop. The two gas giant planets, both more massive than our solar system's largest planet Jupiter, were directly imaged by Webb in a planetary system located in the Milky Way galaxy about 310 light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Musca. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). Astronomers have detected more than 5,900 planets beyond our solar system - called exoplanets - since the 1990s, with less than 2% of these directly imaged like these two. It is rare to find exoplanets in their early developmental stages. The birth of a planetary system begins with a large cloud of gas and dust - called a molecular cloud - that collapses under its own gravity to form a central star. Leftover material spinning around the star in what is called a protoplanetary disk forms planets. This planetary system was observed by Webb very early in its developmental history. The star, named YSES-1, is about the same mass as the sun. The two planets orbit a long distance from the star, each probably needing thousands of years to complete a single orbit. While the sun is roughly 4.5 billion years old, this star is approximately 16 million years old, a veritable newborn. The researchers were surprised to find that the two neonatal planets observed by Webb appeared to be at different stages of development. The innermost of the two has a mass about 14 times greater than Jupiter and orbits the star at a distance 160 times greater than Earth orbits the sun and more than five times as far as our solar system's outermost planet Neptune. The planet is surrounded by a disk of small-grained dust, a state one might expect in a very early stage of formation when it is still coalescing, or perhaps if there has been a collision of some kind or a moon is in the process of taking shape. Webb spotted water and carbon monoxide in its atmosphere. The outermost planet has a mass about six times greater than that of Jupiter and orbits the star at 320 times the distance of Earth to the sun. Its atmosphere is loaded with silicate clouds, differing from our solar system's gas giants. Webb also detected methane, water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It has no disk of material around it. The puzzling combination of traits presented by these two planets in the same system illustrates "the complex landscape that is planet formation and shows how much we truly don't know about how planetary systems came to be, including our own," said astrophysicist Kielan Hoch of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, who led the study published this week in the journal Nature. "Theoretically, the planets should be forming around the same time, as planet formation happens fairly quickly, within about one million years," Hoch said. A real mystery is the location where the planets formed, Hoch added, noting that their orbital distance from the host star is greater than would be expected if they formed in the protoplanetary disk. "Furthermore, why one planet still retains material around it and one has distinct silicate clouds remains a big question. Do we expect all giant planets to form the same way and look the same if they formed in the same environment? These are questions we have been investigating for ages to place the formation of our own solar system into context," Hoch said. In addition to amassing a trove of discoveries about the early universe since becoming operational in 2022, Webb has made a major contribution to the study of exoplanets with its observations at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. "Webb is revealing all sorts of atmospheric physics and chemistry happening in exoplanets that we didn't know before, and is currently challenging every atmospheric model we used pre-Webb," Hoch said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Webb telescope spots infant planets in different stages of development
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The James Webb Space Telescope has observed two large planets at different stages of infancy - one with an atmosphere brimming with dusty clouds and the other encircled by a disk of material - orbiting a young sun-like star in a discovery that illustrates the complex nature of how planetary systems develop. The two gas giant planets, both more massive than our solar system's largest planet Jupiter, were directly imaged by Webb in a planetary system located in the Milky Way galaxy about 310 light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Musca. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). Astronomers have detected more than 5,900 planets beyond our solar system - called exoplanets - since the 1990s, with less than 2% of these directly imaged like these two. It is rare to find exoplanets in their early developmental stages. The birth of a planetary system begins with a large cloud of gas and dust - called a molecular cloud - that collapses under its own gravity to form a central star. Leftover material spinning around the star in what is called a protoplanetary disk forms planets. This planetary system was observed by Webb very early in its developmental history. The star, named YSES-1, is about the same mass as the sun. The two planets orbit a long distance from the star, each probably needing thousands of years to complete a single orbit. While the sun is roughly 4.5 billion years old, this star is approximately 16 million years old, a veritable newborn. The researchers were surprised to find that the two neonatal planets observed by Webb appeared to be at different stages of development. The innermost of the two has a mass about 14 times greater than Jupiter and orbits the star at a distance 160 times greater than Earth orbits the sun and more than five times as far as our solar system's outermost planet Neptune. The planet is surrounded by a disk of small-grained dust, a state one might expect in a very early stage of formation when it is still coalescing, or perhaps if there has been a collision of some kind or a moon is in the process of taking shape. Webb spotted water and carbon monoxide in its atmosphere. The outermost planet has a mass about six times greater than that of Jupiter and orbits the star at 320 times the distance of Earth to the sun. Its atmosphere is loaded with silicate clouds, differing from our solar system's gas giants. Webb also detected methane, water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It has no disk of material around it. The puzzling combination of traits presented by these two planets in the same system illustrates "the complex landscape that is planet formation and shows how much we truly don't know about how planetary systems came to be, including our own," said astrophysicist Kielan Hoch of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, who led the study published this week in the journal Nature. "Theoretically, the planets should be forming around the same time, as planet formation happens fairly quickly, within about one million years," Hoch said. A real mystery is the location where the planets formed, Hoch added, noting that their orbital distance from the host star is greater than would be expected if they formed in the protoplanetary disk. "Furthermore, why one planet still retains material around it and one has distinct silicate clouds remains a big question. Do we expect all giant planets to form the same way and look the same if they formed in the same environment? These are questions we have been investigating for ages to place the formation of our own solar system into context," Hoch said. In addition to amassing a trove of discoveries about the early universe since becoming operational in 2022, Webb has made a major contribution to the study of exoplanets with its observations at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. "Webb is revealing all sorts of atmospheric physics and chemistry happening in exoplanets that we didn't know before, and is currently challenging every atmospheric model we used pre-Webb," Hoch said.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
James Webb Space Telescope reveals first exoplanet with 'sand rain' and a growing 'sandcastle' companion, redefining planetary evolution
Source: NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered something incredible. A far-off planetary system with gas giants that are packed with coarse silica, which is a space sand. The YSES-1 system , which surrounds a young star 300 light-years from Earth, consists of two planets, YSES-1 b and YSES-1 c, both of which have atmospheric sand clouds. The system is a mere 16.7 million years old, an infant in cosmic age that presents scientists with the unusual chance to watch planet formation and development unfold in real-time. These results may redefine the knowledge of the formation and evolution of planets, including those within our own solar system, over billions of years. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope detects 'sand clouds' made of silicates According to the study, silicate clouds, or sand clouds, consist of mineral grains such as pyroxene and forsterite, iron-containing compounds found in rocky planets and meteorites. They are more than a novelty in the atmospheres of exoplanets; they contain important clues about the chemistry and atmosphere of far-off worlds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo According to Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) scientist Valentina D'Orazi, the silicates seen in these planets go through sublimation and condensation cycles just like water on Earth. These active cycles help the sand clouds stay suspended in the air, indicating sophisticated atmospheric transport and formation processes. JWST reveals silicates in both exoplanet atmospheres and formation disks Of the two gas giants, YSES-1 b is a still-growing planet that could someday be a large Jupiter analogue. It is encircled by a flattened cloud of material, a circumplanetary disk; a phenomenon common around young planet. The disk holds the planet-building blocks of its atmosphere, silicates, which fuel its growth. YSES-1 c, however, is already enormous, around 14 times as massive as Jupiter. Its atmosphere has a reddish color due to suspended silica, which sometimes rains down as sandy rain to the planet's center. This is the first direct detection of silicates not only in an exoplanet atmosphere but also in a circumplanetary disk. That makes this observation historic and also pivotal to the study of planetary science. How JWST made the discovery possible The James Webb Space Telescope was able to image these subtle details due to the extended orbits of the planets around their parent star. These were distances ranging from five to ten times the distance between the Sun and Neptune, and they enabled astronomers to view the planets without the blinding light of the star. With its sophisticated infrared equipment, JWST gathered high-resolution spectral information that, on analysis, showed the presence of silicate particles and their composition. Although such direct observation remains possible only for a few exoplanets at this time, it highlights JWST's unparalleled capability to observe in detail the atmospheres and environments of other worlds. JWST insights reveal how Jupiter and Saturn may have taken shape One of the most intriguing things about this discovery is what it implies about the early history of our own solar system. By looking at young exoplanets such as YSES-1 b and c, astronomers can deduce how gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn might have formed and developed. "Examining these planets is like peeking into the history of our own planetary back yard," D'Orazi explained. "It confirms that young exoplanet atmospheres and the disks around them are key drivers of their final atmosphere composition." The researchers also highlighted the need for detailed atmospheric models to interpret the JWST's excellent data pointing to the telescope's continued role in pushing the frontiers of planetary science and exoplanet study. These historic findings were released on June 10 in the journal Nature and highlighted the same day during the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Also Read | Shubhanshu Shukla to take tardigrades on ISS mission; what are they and why scientists are fascinated by eight-legged 'water bears'
