Freshly formed planet detected in the swirling debris of a star similar to our sun, as captured in space-aging photography.

In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have unveiled the presence of two potential protoplanets orbiting young stars, HD 135344B and V960 Mon, located respectively in the constellations Lupus and Monoceros. The findings, shared on July 21, 2025, underscore the significance of direct detection methods in understanding the formation and evolution of planets around young stars.

The sculpted protoplanetary disk around HD 135344B, a star 440 light-years away, had been observed by astronomers prior to this discovery. The new revelation, however, brings to light a potential planet, twice the size of Jupiter, embedded within this disk. This planet, located 30 times the distance from Earth to the sun from its host star, appears to be actively shaping its environment, sculpting intricate spiral arms around the star.

Meanwhile, the object discovered around V960 Mon, located 5,000 light-years away, is a mystery yet to be fully unravelled. The discovery serves as the first time a planet has been found embedded inside a dust spiral around a star, actively shaping its environment.

The discoveries were made using the Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS), a powerful tool that further demonstrates the potential of direct detection methods in exoplanet research. ERIS played a decisive role in the recent discovery of an object (possibly a brown dwarf) in the protoplanetary disk around the young star V960 Mon.

The discovery of the protoplanet around HD 135344B offers an opportunity to witness a planet coming into existence in real time. The protoplanet is currently highly embedded in the disc around its host star, which could provide valuable insights into the early stages of planet formation.

The discoveries around HD 135344B and V960 Mon expand the known catalog of exoplanets and objects in protoplanetary disks. They serve as evidence that the building blocks of planets can be observed in protoplanetary disks around young stars. The findings highlight the importance of continued research into the formation and evolution of planets around young stars.

While the name of the research team that discovered the planet candidate around HD 135344B is not explicitly mentioned in the provided search results, their work underscores the collaborative nature of astronomical research and the ongoing quest to uncover the secrets of our universe. These discoveries mark a significant step forward in our understanding of the formation and evolution of planets around young stars, paving the way for future discoveries and insights.