By Canadian Press

Canadian-led study sheds new light on planets forming in ‘cosmic nursery’

Feb 13, 2025 | 3:12 PM

A new study is offering a clearer picture of how planets are born alongside stars, with the lead researcher from British Columbia calling the findings an exciting step toward understanding the formation of planets and their atmospheres.

University of Victoria doctoral candidate Dori Blakely says researchers have known that planets form by pulling in mass from gas and dust from their surroundings, a process known as accretion.

But the study Blakely led used the James Webb Space Telescope to zoom in on that phenomenon and a young star known as PDS 70, with two young planets developing around it.

He says the study published in the peer-reviewed Astronomical Journal found convincing evidence of a disk of “warm dust” around the planets.

Blakely says the finding offers insights into the formation of planets roughly similar to Jupiter, along with their atmospheres, and potentially the formation of their moons.

He says the study is “not anywhere close to the final answer” about how planets and their atmospheres form, but it is a step in the process.

It also marks the first direct detection of exoplanets — those outside our solar system — using an approach called interferometry in space, Blakely adds.

He says in a statement issued by the university that the research offers a snapshot of a “cosmic nursery” as planets compete for the material they need to grow.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2025.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press