Astronomers have captured an image of a "baby" planet, or protoplanet, for the first time, orbiting around its star in a ring-shaped gap. WISPIT 2b, a massive gas giant about five times larger than Jupiter, was directly detected by researchers using the Magellan Telescope in Chile and the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona.
This discovery is significant because it provides the first direct evidence of a growing planet clearing material from a disk gap, as scientists had long predicted. Protoplanetary disks are made up of gas and dust that surround young stars and serve as the birthplace for new planets. The rings and gaps in these disks can form due to the gravitational influence of forming planets.
The team used advanced technology, including the MagAO-X extreme adaptive optics system, which captures direct images of exoplanets. They also studied WISPIT 2b in different wavelengths of infrared light using the LMIRcam detector. These observations revealed a clear dot in one of the ring gaps, which was identified as the protoplanet.
The discovery of WISPIT 2b is not only fascinating for its size and age but also provides insights into the formation process of planets. The planet appears to have formed where it is located, suggesting that it did not form elsewhere and then moved into the gap. This finding highlights the complexities of planetary formation and the need for further research.
In addition to WISPIT 2b, the team detected a second candidate planet in another ring gap, which will be investigated in future studies. The discovery of these planets is an exciting step forward in understanding the process of planetary formation and the diversity of celestial bodies in our galaxy.
The researchers involved in this study are from various institutions, including the University of Arizona and Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. Their findings were published in two papers in August 2025.
This discovery is significant because it provides the first direct evidence of a growing planet clearing material from a disk gap, as scientists had long predicted. Protoplanetary disks are made up of gas and dust that surround young stars and serve as the birthplace for new planets. The rings and gaps in these disks can form due to the gravitational influence of forming planets.
The team used advanced technology, including the MagAO-X extreme adaptive optics system, which captures direct images of exoplanets. They also studied WISPIT 2b in different wavelengths of infrared light using the LMIRcam detector. These observations revealed a clear dot in one of the ring gaps, which was identified as the protoplanet.
The discovery of WISPIT 2b is not only fascinating for its size and age but also provides insights into the formation process of planets. The planet appears to have formed where it is located, suggesting that it did not form elsewhere and then moved into the gap. This finding highlights the complexities of planetary formation and the need for further research.
In addition to WISPIT 2b, the team detected a second candidate planet in another ring gap, which will be investigated in future studies. The discovery of these planets is an exciting step forward in understanding the process of planetary formation and the diversity of celestial bodies in our galaxy.
The researchers involved in this study are from various institutions, including the University of Arizona and Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. Their findings were published in two papers in August 2025.
I'm kinda underwhelmed by this discovery tbh. Like, yeah it's cool that they managed to detect a "baby" planet orbiting around its star, but is it really that groundbreaking? It just confirms what scientists already predicted about planetary formation. And isn't the fact that WISPIT 2b formed where it is, kinda obvious considering we're talking about a protoplanet here? 
I mean, I guess it's still nice to have more info on how planets form and all, but can't they just get around taking pics of some random old star or something? 
At least that would be a real game-changer.
This is crazy! I mean, we're talkin' about a "baby" planet that's like 5 times bigger than Jupiter 
! The fact that it formed where it is and cleared out the disk gap is mind-blowing. It's like, the universe just decided to test our understanding of planetary formation 
. And the tech they used? MagAO-X extreme adaptive optics system? That's some crazy precision stuff 
. I mean, we're basically looking at a direct image of an exoplanet now 
! The fact that they found another candidate planet too is like, woah 
. This discovery is gonna give us so much to learn about planetary formation and the diversity of celestial bodies in our galaxy 
...
anyway, back to space stuff... i mean, can u imagine having a giant gas planet right next to ur star 
. It's like, we've been observing them for so long and thought they were just hanging out in the disk, but it turns out they're actually playing a major role in shaping their surroundings. And WISPIT 2b being five times bigger than Jupiter? That's crazy! 
. And I love that they've not only found WISPIT 2b but also another candidate planet to study further. This is the stuff of sci-fi movies! The tech used in this discovery is insane – extreme adaptive optics? That's some next-level stuff right there 
. I'm glad we're getting more info about our galaxy, even if it is still super young 
. Can't wait to see what other secrets the universe has up its sleeve 
.
And the fact that they found another candidate planet in a nearby gap is just the icing on the cake.
. And the fact that it formed right where it is, without moving from its birthplace, is like... whoa. It's giving us clues about how planetary formation works, which is gonna be super helpful for future research 