Astronomers detect one of the youngest fully formed exoplanets ever found
In short: Using the Kepler Space Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory, researchers have identified a newborn planet orbiting a distant star. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the early stages of planetary development.
The newly discovered exoplanet is slightly larger than Neptune and maintains a rapid five-day orbit around its host star. This discovery, announced by NASA on June 20, 2016, highlights a significant milestone in exoplanet research.
Estimated to be only 5 to 10 million years old, the planet is a cosmic newborn when compared to Earth, which is approximately 4.5 billion years old. This makes it one of only a few such young, fully formed planets detected to date.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Kepler Finds Newborn Exoplanet on This Week @NASA - June 24, 2016
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