Astronomers confirm existence of two giant, newborn planets in PDS 70 system

New evidence confirms that first-ever pictures do capture the birth of a pair of planets orbiting the star PDS 70.

A direct image of PDS 70 protoplanets B and C, with the circumstellar disk removed. Photo: J. Wang, Caltech

Using a new infrared pyramid wavefront sensor for adaptive optics correction at the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, a Caltech team of astronomers applied a new method of taking photos of the baby planets, or protoplanets, and confirmed their existence.

PDS 70 is the first known multiplanetary system where astronomers can witness planet formation in action. The first direct image of one of its planets, PDS 70b, was taken in 2018, followed by multiple images taken at different wavelengths of its sibling, PDS 70c, in 2019. Both Jupiter-like protoplanets were discovered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.

"There was some confusion when the two protoplanets were first imaged," said Jason Wang, lead author of the study. "Planet embryos form from a disk of dust and gas surrounding a newborn star. This circumstellar material accretes onto the protoplanet, creating a kind of smokescreen that makes it difficult to differentiate the dusty, gaseous disk from the developing planet in an image."

To help provide clarity, the team developed a method to disentangle the image signals from the circumstellar disk and the protoplanets.

"We know the disk's shape should be a symmetrical ring around the star whereas a planet should be a single point in the image," said Wang. "So even if a planet appears to sit on top of the disk, which is the case with PDS 70c, based on our knowledge of how the disk looks throughout the whole image, we can infer how bright the disk should be at the location of the protoplanet and remove the disk signal. All that's left over is the planet's emission."

This project benefited from the innovative infrared sensor that measures distortions in light caused by the Earth’s atmosphere. (National Science Foundation)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

ESO Telescope Sees Signs of Planet Birth

Observations made with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have revealed the telltale signs of a star system being born.

ESO Instrument Finds Closest Black Hole to Earth

A team of astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and other institutes has discovered a black hole lying just 1000 light-years from Earth.

Venus Atmosphere Rotating 60 Times Faster than Planet Itself

A Venusian day, which is one full rotation of the planet, takes 243 Earth days, but researchers found out that its atmosphere rotates 60 times faster.

Astronomers Find Six-Planet System in Perfect Orbital Harmony

Astronomers have found a unique star system with multiple planets orbiting it 88 light-years away.

First-Ever Comprehensive Geologic Map of the Moon

The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new authoritative map to help explain the 4.5-billion-year-old history of our nearest neighbor in space.

Earth-Size, Habitable-Zone Planet Found Hidden in Early NASA Kepler Data

Scientists, using reanalyzed data from NASA's Kepler space telescope, has discovered an Earth-size exoplanet orbiting in its star's habitable zone, the area around a star where a rocky planet could support liquid water.