Astronomers witnessed for the first time the "meal" of a newly born planet 450 light-years from Earth, and the "meal" consists of gas that the planet sucks in by gravity.
"Astronomers predicted these leaks, but for the first time we can observe them"
Thanks to the ALMA radio telescope, a large international astronomical project in Chile's Atacama desert, scientists were able to observe that crucial moment that confirms the theory of the formation of large gas planets.
Astronomers at the European Star Observatory observed a celestial body called "HD 142527", surrounded by a huge disk of gas and cosmic dust.
That disk is in two parts separated by a huge empty space. The dimensions are even larger than the entire solar system.
Inflow of gas to the planet
Theorists suggest that the giant planet grows by absorbing gas through the "bridges" through which the gas flows towards the planet.
It is impossible to directly observe the nascent planet
"Astronomers predicted these leaks, but for the first time we can observe them," said Simon Casasus of the University of Chile.
Thanks to ALMA's array of antennas, Kazasus and his team were able to analyze the gas and cosmic dust around the celestial body.
"We think that a giant planet is hiding there and that it is the cause of the gas inflow," the scientists said.
However, it is impossible to directly observe the forming planet because it is deep in gas and dust.
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