Budding planets around a newborn star reveal early solar-system formation

Astronomers studying the young star WISPIT 2, located about 437 light-years away and ~5.4 million years old, have directly detected two forming planets—WISPIT 2b and WISPIT 2c—in the star’s surrounding protoplanetary disk, carving gaps as they grow. Hints of a third planet farther out have researchers hopeful, and the system offers a rare look at how solar systems like our own form; observations via the VLT (with SPHERE and GRAVITY+ upgrades) suggest future clues may be revealed by the ELT.