planetforming

Astronomers find first evidence of a ‘twisted’ planet-forming disc

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Luke Skywalker calls Tatooine home, a planet with two suns, and astronomers now understand more about how these complex multi-star systems form in reality. A strange young star system 1,200 light years from Earth was studied using powerful telescopes, but unlike Tatooine’s, this budding system has three stars. Researchers at the University of Exeter tracked their … Read more

Astronomers capture mesmerising images of planet-forming discs of dust and gas

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Captivating images of planet-forming discs around young stars have been captured by astronomers – and they could hold clues to the origins of Earth-like worlds. An international team of astronomers used the Europe Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope in Chile to take 15 images of the inner rims of planetary discs.  In the images astronomers … Read more