"Discovery: Protoplanet Found 374 Light Years Away, Shaping a New World"
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a protoplanet, HD169142 b, located 374 light years away from Earth. Using data from the SPHERE instrument of the European Southern Observatory, researchers from the University of Liège and Monash University were able to detect the thermal signature of the forming planet. The protoplanet, which is still in the process of gathering material, is located in a disk of gas and dust surrounding the star HD 169142. This discovery increases the number of confirmed protoplanets to three and provides valuable insights into the early stages of planet formation. Further observations with the James Webb Space Telescope could provide additional characterization and confirmation of the protoplanet.
