Astronomers are making unprecedented observations of protoplanetary disks—the swirling clouds of gas and dust where planets form around young stars. Recent discoveries include live rotation tracking, the detection of water ice, and the identification of the largest disk ever observed, revealing the chaotic dynamics that shape planetary systems.
·Direct observations now capture the spinning motion of planet-forming disks in real time around young stars like AB Aurigae
·HDO ice detected for the first time in a protoplanetary disk, providing new insights into chemical composition during planet formation
·Hubble telescope identifies a record-breaking protoplanetary disk, the largest known to exist around a young star
·Spiral patterns in gravitationally unstable disks show how planets begin to carve out structures during formation
·Simulations using tools like DustPy model how dust and gas behave in these stellar nurseries
drawn from Universe Today, Astrobiology Web, Sci.News, Phys.org · updated 21d ago