In a recent discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope has managed to capture the image of a protoplanet under formation. This protoplanet bears similarities with Jupiter, and its formation process is described as an intense and violent procedure. The Hubble Space Telescope is a product of international collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Details about the New Protoplanet
Named AB Aurigae b, the newly forming planet is concealed within a protoplanetary disk characterized by distinct spiral structures. This disk surrounds a young star believed to be approximately 2 million years old, which coincides with the age conjectured for our solar system during the period of planet formation. AB Aurigae b is distant from our sun by about 531 light-years. The estimated size of this protoplanet is around nine times that of Jupiter, and it orbits its host star at a distance of 8.6 billion miles, more than double the Earth-Sun-Pluto distance.
Understanding Protoplanets
Defined as celestial bodies slightly larger than moons or comparably smaller planets, protoplanets are crucial to solar system formation. Astronomers suggest that these celestial objects are formed during the creation of a solar system. According to popular theories, a molecular dust cloud collapses to form one or more stars and a corresponding gas cloud. This gas cloud, subject to gravity and other forces, causes dust and particles to collide and agglomerate into larger masses, leading to the formation of protoplanets. These objects continually grow until they attain a certain size, strong enough to attract particles with their gravity.
NASA’s Disk Instability Theory
NASA believes that the recent discovery validates a contested theory known as the “disk instability” theory, which proposes an explanation for the formation of Jupiter-like planets. According to this model, a protoplanetary disk becomes sufficiently cool and dense to be gravitationally unstable, thus triggering the collapse for the formation of a gaseous protoplanet. The Disk Instability theory explains that matter in the disc gradually moves inwards as dust particles multiply into centimetre-sized pebbles, marking the initial step towards forming kilometre-sized planetesimals. These solid objects are believed to exist in protoplanetary disks and debris disks and eventually come together to form planets.