Astronomers discover youngest-ever planet which is just 3 million years old – Times of India

Astronomers at the University of North Carolina have discovered a relatively young planet, which, they claim, is still in its infant stage. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, astronomers report the discovery of the youngest transiting planet ever found, estimated to be just three million years old.
The astronomers hope that through the study of planet TIDYE-1b (also known as IRAS 04125+2902 b), they can understand a lot about the early stages of planet formation. Madyson Barber, lead author of the paper, said that discovering planets like this can help scientists travel back in time to catch a glimpse of the planet as it forms.

TIDYE-1b was detected using NASA’s TESS telescope through the transit method, where a planet passing between its star and the observer causes a temporary dip in the star’s brightness. Astronomers noticed this dip during their observation and eventually found out about the planet. This technique, widely used to discover exoplanets, has previously helped astronomers identify over a dozen young planets aged between 10 and 40 million years. However, TIDYE-1b stands out as the youngest transiting planet ever observed.

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Young planets are often hidden within the gas and dust of the “protoplanetary disc,” a ring-like debris field surrounding a star, from which new planets gradually form. Such a disc, typically, takes over five million years to dissipate in a young star system. TIDYE-1b was observable despite its young age because its orbit around the star is tilted at a different angle than the main protoplanetary disc. This rare opportunity allowed astronomers to observe the planet, which would have otherwise remained hidden.
Study co-author Andrew Mann, an astronomer at UNC Chapel Hill, told Reuters that a mystery remains about how long it takes for planets to form. He explained that larger planets must form quickly before their protoplanetary disk dissipates, as they require significant amounts of gas from the disk. However, the exact timeline for planet formation remains unknown.

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TIDYE-1b orbits very close to its star, about once every nine days. Researchers suggest it represents an early-stage example of a ‘super-Earth‘ or ‘sub-Neptune,’ a planet type absent from our solar system but commonly observed across the Milky Way. It has a diameter approximately 11 times that of our planet but is not as dense as Earth.