For the first time, astronomers have detected a young planet actively growing inside a cleared gap in a star’s protoplanetary disk — a landmark discovery that confirms long-held theories about how planets shape their early environments.

The finding, led by University of Arizona astronomer Laird Close and Leiden Observatory graduate student Richelle van Capelleveen, identifies a planet called WISPIT 2b forming around a sun-like star about 500 light-years away. Their results were published this week in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Why this discovery matters

The backstory:

For decades, astronomers have seen striking ring-and-gap patterns in the disks of dust and gas surrounding young stars. These gaps appeared to be carved out by developing planets, yet direct evidence of a planet i

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