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Discovery of youngest known exoplanet Elias 2-24 b

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2026-09-22 00:23 UTC → 2026-09-26 04:38 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of Elias 2-24 b, a Jupiter-mass exoplanet located approximately 450 light-years from Earth. Estimated to be less than one million years old, it is considered the youngest exoplanet ever detected. The discovery, published in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’, was the result of a decade-long investigation by an international team, including researchers from the Universidad Diego Portales in Chile and the National University of La Plata. By re-analyzing archival data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii and utilizing observations from the ALMA radiotelescope and the Very Large Telescope (VLT), researchers confirmed the planet’s existence and movement while it remains embedded within its protoplanetary disk of gas and dust. Research led by Andrea Bernardi utilized a coronagraph to isolate the planet's light from its host star to confirm its orbital movement. The study also included contributions from researchers such as Lucas Cieza and Santiago Orcajo. This finding challenges existing scientific models of planet formation. While current theories suggest a gas giant of this size should take at least five million years to form, Elias 2-24 b is significantly younger. This rapid development suggests that existing models regarding the speed of gas giant formation through core accretion may be overlooking critical processes. Recent discussions surrounding the discovery highlight that this Jupiter-sized world is still actively forming within a swirling disk composed of gas, dust, ice, and rocky material.

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