Astronomers utilizing ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and VLT Interferometer (VLTI) in Chile have made groundbreaking discoveries by directly observing two giant gas planets forming within a planet-forming disk around the star Whispit 2. This research offers one of the most detailed insights into planetary system formation to date, highlighted by distinctive gaps and rings of surrounding material, which suggest the likelihood of additional alien worlds in the vicinity.
Images captured by ESO’s Very Large Telescope illustrate a young planetary system orbiting the star WISPIT 2. Image credit: ESO / Lawlor and colleagues.
“WISPIT 2 represents our clearest glimpse into the early stages of planetary formation,” stated Dr. Chloe Lawler, a researcher from Galway University.
“This discovery enables us to study entire planetary systems, rather than just individual planets in isolation,” noted Dr. Christian Ginski, also associated with the University of Galway.
“Such observations are crucial for enhancing our understanding of how nascent planetary systems evolve into mature systems like our own,” he added.
The first protoplanet found in the WISPIT 2 system, designated WISPIT 2b, was identified last year and has a mass nearly five times that of Jupiter, orbiting at a distance approximately 60 times that between the Earth and the Sun.
“Discovering this new world in formation showcases the remarkable capabilities of our current astronomical instruments,” commented Dr. Richelle van Capelveen from the Leiden Observatory.
Subsequent observations detected additional objects near WISPIT 2, with measurements from the VLT and VLTI confirming their planetary nature.
The newly identified planet, WISPIT 2c, is located four times closer to its host star and is twice as massive as WISPIT 2b.
Both planets are gas giants, akin to the outer planets in our solar system.
To validate WISPIT 2c, astronomers employed the SPHERE instrument on the VLT, followed by VLTI’s GRAVITY+ instrument to confirm it as a planet.
“Our study leveraged recent enhancements to GRAVITY+, which were essential for detecting such a clear planet in proximity to its star,” stated Dr. Guillaume Bourdaro from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.
Both planets orbiting WISPIT 2 manifest in distinct gaps within the surrounding dust and gas disk, a phenomenon caused by each planet’s gravitational influence.
The material remaining around each gap forms unique dust rings within the disk composition.
In addition to the gaps hosting the two planets, at least one smaller gap exists further out in the WISPIT 2 disk.
“This narrower and shallower gap may indicate the presence of a third planet, possibly with a mass akin to Saturn,” Lawler speculated.
The findings are set to be detailed in an upcoming article in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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Chloe Lawler and colleagues. 2026. Direct spectroscopy confirmation of the young embedded protoplanet WISPIT 2c. APJL 1000, L38; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae4b3b
Source: www.sci.news
