University of Hawaii researchers reveal new planetary formation models

An international research team, led by Professor Nader Haghighipour from the University of Hawaii, has presented new findings regarding planetary formation using over 1,000 advanced computer simulations. Presented at the Origins 2026 conference in Paris, the study moves away from traditional models that relied on rigid, pre-set structures designed to match known solar system data.

By utilizing algorithms based on entirely random starting points, the researchers allowed pure physics to drive the evolution of virtual systems within protoplanetary disks. The results indicate that planets with the mass and orbit of Earth form organically and repeatedly under these conditions. Additionally, Venus appeared in approximately 28% of the simulations.

The new computational environment also addressed the “Mars mass problem,” a long-standing puzzle in planetology that traditional software had failed to resolve for three decades.