HOPS-315 reveals the first solid ingredients of a new planetary system
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA have detected silicon monoxide gas and crystalline minerals beginning to solidify in the disc around HOPS-315, about 1,300 light-years away. The international team, led by Leiden University’s Melissa McClure, says this is the first observation of this early step in planet formation beyond our Solar System.
Bottom line — HOPS-315 offers astronomers a view of planet formation at its earliest observed stage.
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ESO reports that the minerals were identified with JWST; ALMA helped locate their signals in a small region of the disc.
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According to ESO, that region corresponds to the asteroid belt’s location in our Solar System.
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The team found silicon monoxide both as gas and within crystalline minerals, suggesting the material is beginning to solidify.
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CBC reports that HOPS-315 is 100,000–200,000 years old; ESO places it about 1,300 light-years away.
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Melissa McClure told CBC that the process may be common in the earliest stages of planet formation, though the team is seeking more examples.