Scientists have previously discovered more than a dozen transiting planets – which are planets that pass between a star and an observer such as Earth – around stars that are 10 – 40 million years old. However, there have been no detections of younger transiting planets, possibly because they haven’t fully formed yet, or because the planets are blocked by the dust and gas from newly formed stars.
Madyson Barber and colleagues analysed data on the young – at 3-million-year-old – star with unique features that have allowed them to view the transiting planet via NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite – or TESS. The planet seems to be a precursor of the super-Earth and sub-Neptune planets often found orbiting Sun-like stars, and researchers hope it could be useful for studying the early stages of planet formation.
Given the young age of this star and planet, the rare disk misalignment, and the relatively close proximity to Earth, the authors suggest that this system could be a useful target for studying the early stages of planet formation.
