Elias 2-24 b identified as the youngest known exoplanet

Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of Elias 2-24 b, the youngest known exoplanet identified to date. Located approximately 450 light-years from Earth, the gas giant is estimated to be less than one million years old, significantly younger than previous records of planets exceeding five million years of age.

With a mass comparable to Jupiter, the planet is still in the process of formation, actively accumulating material from the surrounding disk of gas and dust. The discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, challenges current astrophysical models, as existing theories suggest that a planet of this mass would typically require several million years to form at such a distance from its host star.

The research was led by Andrea Bernardi of the Universidad Diego Portales and involved a re-analysis of archival data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The team used a coronagraph to isolate the planet's light from its star, confirming its orbital movement. The study also included contributions from researchers such as Lucas Cieza and Santiago Orcajo, utilizing data previously gathered by the ALMA radiotelescope and the Very Large Telescope.