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 21 August 2008 21:57 BST

Scientists spy 'youngest-ever' planet in forming stages

Wednesday, 02 Apr 2008 14:40
The young planet was spotted by UK and US astronomers

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Scientists believe they have spotted what is the youngest-ever planet seen in the universe.

Astrologers at the University of St Andrews say the discovery is important as it provides a unique view of how planets take shape.

The supporting images of the planet show the womb-like parent disk material from which the planet was formed.

The planet, named HL Tau b, is estimated to be as young as a few hundred years old.

"The planet will probably take millions of years to settle down into its final form of something like Jupiter," said Dr Jane Greaves of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews.

"So we really are seeing it very early - even a bit like the first cells that make up a human embryo in the womb."

The planet was captured by a large array of telescopes across the US and the finding was then confirmed by computer simulations from the University of Edinburgh.

Researchers think the planet may have formed after an encounter with another young star about 1,600 years go in a 'flyby' incident.

The planet formed because of gravitational instability in the surrounding disk, which allows small regions to separate out and cool down into self-contained structures.

The planet is about 14 times the size of Jupiter.

"We see a distinct orbiting ball of gas and dust, which is exactly how a very young protoplanet should look," said Dr Greaves.

"In the future, we would expect this to condense out into a gas giant planet like a massive version of Jupiter."
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