An international collaboration of astronomers, which includes experts from the University of Galway, has announced a remarkable discovery: a newly identified planet, designated WISPIT 2b.
This celestial body, estimated to be a mere five million years old, is thought to be a gas giant similar in size to Jupiter. The detection of WISPIT 2b represents an early formation stage around a young star that bears striking similarities to our Sun.
Discovery Method
The breakthrough was achieved using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile’s Atacama Desert, renowned as one of the world’s premier observatories.
Located about 430 light-years from Earth, WISPIT 2b lies within the constellation Aquila, though it remains invisible to the naked eye.
Research Publication
A detailed study co-led by Leiden University, the University of Galway, and the University of Arizona detailing the planet’s discovery has been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Night-Sky Observations
Dr. Christian Ginski, a lecturer at the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Galway and the study’s second author, explained the observation process: “We used these really short snapshot observations of many young stars – only a few minutes per object – to determine if we could see a little dot of light next to them that is caused by a planet.”
He added, “However, in the case of this star, we instead detected a completely unexpected and exceptionally beautiful multi-ringed dust disk. When we saw this multi-ringed disk for the first time, we knew we had to try and see if we could detect a planet within it, so we quickly asked for follow-up observations.”
Significance of the Discovery
This marks only the second confirmed sighting of a planet at such an early evolutionary phase around a young star similar to our Sun; the first instance occurred in 2018, involving the same research team that includes Dr. Ginski.
The planet was captured in near-infrared light, akin to what one might observe with night-vision goggles, as it continues to radiate heat from its formation stage.
Key Findings
The teams from Leiden University and the University of Galway were able to acquire a clear image of the young proto-planet situated within a disk gap, confirming that it is orbiting its host star. Additionally, researchers from the University of Arizona detected the planet in visible light, suggesting that it is actively accumulating gas as it develops its atmosphere.
Dust and gas-rich disks surrounding young stars serve as the primary cradles for planet formation, displaying spectacular structures like rings and spiral arms, which researchers believe are indicative of planets forming within these systems.
The dust disk encircling WISPIT 2b has a radius of 380 astronomical units, roughly 380 times the distance from Earth to the Sun.
Research Leadership
The study was spearheaded by early-career PhD student Richelle van Capelleveen from Leiden University, alongside a graduate student team from the University of Galway.
Van Capelleveen remarked, “Discovering this planet was an amazing experience – we were incredibly lucky.”
Chloe Lawlor, a PhD student in physics at the University of Galway, stated, “I feel incredibly fortunate to be involved in such an exciting and potentially career-defining discovery. WISPIT 2b, with its position within its birth disk, is a beautiful example of a planet that can be used to explore current planet formation models. I am certain this will become a landmark paper, owing particularly to the work of Richelle van Capelleveen and her exceptional team.”
Jake Byrne, an MSc student at the University of Galway, expressed his excitement, saying he “could hardly believe it was a real detection” upon seeing the image of the “remarkable discovery.” He added, “It’s a big one – that’s sure to spark discussion within the research community and advance our understanding of planet formation.”
Dan McLachlan, also an MSc student, said, “It was such a mind-blowing thing to be a part of. I feel so well treated by the University of Galway physics department and especially my supervisor Dr. Christian Ginski to have provided me with the opportunity to be part of such an exciting project.”
