Astronomers observe gas giant formation in WISPIT 2 system

Astronomers have captured the first complete images of a growing gas giant interacting with its protoplanetary disk. Using data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, a research team led by Myriam Benisty of the Max Planck Institute and Stefano Facchini of the University of Milan observed the WISPIT 2 star system, located approximately 430 light-years from Earth.

The observations reveal the protoplanet WISPIT 2b as it undergoes accretion, pulling mass from the surrounding gas and dust. The imaging specifically highlights a gas vortex created by this process, where gas flows toward and away from the observer, indicating the complex movement of material during planet formation.

While previous observations of planetary formation have been fragmented, this discovery provides a direct look at the transition between dust accumulation and the development of a full protoplanet. The WISPIT 2 system is a binary star system, and researchers have also identified a second protoplanet, WISPIT 2c, within the disk.