Space research has always sparked awe and wonder in our hearts, and there seems to be no end to the secrets waiting to be unraveled. A significant mystery surrounding the formation of moons has been at the forefront of astronomers’ minds for ages, and a recent discovery in the constellation Centaur might hold the key to this cosmic puzzle.
Intrigued yet? Hold on tight as we dive into this mind-blowing revelation in our journey to explore the mysteries of the universe. So, let’s get started!
The formation of Earth’s moon has puzzled the sharpest minds in the world of astronomy. While experts have presented several plausible theories, none of them are definitive. The main reason behind this is that our Earth-Moon constellation is a complete system, and we cannot observe its formation firsthand. Therefore, we need to divert our attention to cosmic areas where celestial bodies are still undergoing development.
Recently, scientists recorded a galactic milestone by observing the birth of moons around a distant exoplanet for the first time. This exoplanet called PDS 70c located around 370 light-years away from Earth is a Jupiter-like giant that orbits a young 5.4 million-year-old star in the constellation Centaur. Since the star is still in its early stages, the planet formation process is still ongoing, making it a perfect space object for observation.
But that’s not all! Scientists discovered a moon-forming circumplanetary disk, a cluster of gases, dust, and debris, which is an important material reservoir for the formation of natural satellites. The disk around PDS 70c has a whopping diameter of around 100 million miles, almost the same as the distance between the sun and the earth, and contains enough material to form up to three earth-sized moons.
PDS 70c is more than twice Jupiter’s size, and it takes about 227 years to orbit around its star. As deposits of gas and dust collide and merge, larger solid bodies are formed, eventually growing into full-grown moons. While this theory of moon formation has been around for a while, this is the first time astronomers have been able to document the process in action.
What makes this discovery all the more significant is that circumplanetary disks usually have a short lifespan, disappearing ten million years after the formation of the planet. This makes PDS 70c and its sister planet, PDS 70b, the only known exoplanets that are still evolving. It’s fascinating to note that pds-70b seems to have been starved by its sister planet as scientists found no evidence of a moon-forming collection of matter around this planet.
The information gathered from this discovery can help deepen our understanding of the origin of moons and planets. Astronomers are optimistic about the kind of data that the Extremely Large Telescope, set to launch in 2027, can collect on the gas movements around PDS 70c, giving us an unmatched view of how the moons are formed and how they interact with the system.
In conclusion, the discoveries made in the recent past have been extraordinary, and we are delighted to witness humanity inch closer to unraveling the mysteries of the universe. Join us on this incredible journey to explore the vast expanse of space by subscribing to our channel, Simply Space. We promise you won’t regret it!
