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Published on Thursday, December 17, 2015

Scientists Watch The Birth Of A Planet

[WHOA]

Scientists Watch The Birth Of A Planet
For The first time in history Astronomers were able to witness a planet being born outside out solar
system. After conducting studies for years they were able to focus in on a phenomenon that ended up 
being the process when a planet is born. This is something that has never been seen or documented 
previously in any known records of history. They have discovered over one thousand nine hundred 
planets discovered outside of our solar system to date. These however are the first anyone has 
documented or seen forming. This information was published in a journal called Nature and provided 
detailed information about gases and dust come together to form a planet. 

How Are Planets Born? 

Scientists were able follow the beginning to the end result in what appears to be the birth of 
possibly three planets. As they were watching the swirling of dust and gas surrounding the star known 
as Lick-Calcium 15 (LkCa 15). After five years of watching and studying they finally saw the end 
result that they named LkCa 15 b and LkCa 15 c have been created. The third planet will be known as 
LkCa 15 d if it does indeed form into a planet. This process has been called accretion and it means 
small particles such as gas, dust grains, and tiny meteoroids have come together to form larger bodies. 
Originally the saw the light emissions caused by hot gases falling onto the first forming planet. 

All About The Two Planets 

LkCa 15 b orbits the star LkCa 15 about two point five billion kilometers from it. It is a massive 
gas planet much like Jupiter but many times larger. LkCa 15 c was located in a cleared out area with 
the possible third planet forming nearby. The scientists could see the star and the disk of material 
circling around it and then see a nice empty space where the planets are forming and the material keeps 
pouring into the planets' rotation. They have seen parts of this process individually before but this is the 
first time they could witness the complete process from beginning to end. They have been attempting to 
see faint planets behind the fiery brightness of a glaring star. This process has shown scientists exactly 
how the particles can come together to create a planet combined with the gases. They are excited that 
that can now say they know how each step happens from the creation of the star to the way the planet 
was formed from left over dust and gas left behind by the star. 

In Conclusion 

Now scientists can give us a defined and drawn out list of steps from the beginning of a star to 
the creation of planets to are created around it after it is formed. This is a massive step for astronomers 
around the world. It is also great information for those who enjoy star gazing to have a better idea of 
how our solar system and those around us work.

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Author: Vrountas

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