Astronomers have observed the earliest stages of rocky planet formation around the young star HOPS-315, located 1,370 light-years away, marking a groundbreaking moment in understanding how planetary systems develop.

This international research team captured the initial condensation of planet-building materials, such as silicon monoxide gas and crystalline minerals, indicating the start of solid particle formation.

The observations, made using the James Webb Space Telescope and the ALMA telescope in Chile, reveal that these materials are beginning to condense from gas into solids, a crucial step in planet formation.

The study suggests that the process observed around HOPS-315 resembles the early formation stages of our own Solar System, especially regarding the minerals that contributed to Earth and Jupiter's cores.

Researchers found that the mineral locations correspond to the region of the asteroid belt in our Solar System, providing insights into similar formation processes.

Detection of silicon monoxide and crystalline silicate minerals indicates that the initial solid materials, or planetesimals, are beginning to form, akin to the early Solar System over 4.5 billion years ago.

Infrared radiation from silicon monoxide gas and crystals confirms that the condensation process is underway, marking the start of solid planetary bodies.

This discovery was enabled by the combined power of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the ALMA array, with findings published in the journal Nature.

The observations captured the initial moments of planet formation, showing hot minerals starting to solidify around HOPS-315, a star estimated to be between 100,000 and 200,000 years old.

Published in Nature, these findings offer new insights into how planetary systems like ours might develop over time, representing a significant advancement in the field.

The process of condensing hot minerals observed around HOPS-315 suggests that such planet formation mechanisms could be common throughout the universe, not unique to our Solar System.

The study highlights the similarities between HOPS-315’s early planetary system and our own, especially concerning the minerals involved in forming Earth and Jupiter’s cores.