• Astronomers observed the first stages of planet formation around star HOPS-315, 1,300 light-years away.
• The discovery helps illuminate the early conditions of our own solar system's formation.
• Minerals like silicon monoxide were identified as the first solidifying materials in the protoplanetary disc.
• The research utilized data from the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA telescope in Chile.
• Findings were published in the journal Nature, marking a significant milestone in astronomy.

Astronomers have for the first time observed the early stages of planet formation around a distant star, HOPS-315, located about 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. This baby star is believed to resemble the Sun during its infancy, presenting an opportunity to understand how our own solar system may have begun. The study's lead author, Melissa McClure from Leiden University, remarked, "For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation is initiated around a star other than our Sun," highlighting the significance of this observation SCMP, Dawn, Channel News Asia, CBS News, and ABC News.

Young stars are typically encircled by protoplanetary discs composed of gas and dust where planets begin to form. Within these discs, crystalline minerals that contain silicon monoxide clump together, potentially evolving into planetesimals—solid bodies that will eventually develop into full-sized planets. This process observed at HOPS-315 may mirror the early formation of our Solar System, as minerals similar to those that formed Earth were found in ancient meteorites SCMP, Dawn, and Channel News Asia.

The detection of these minerals was made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope and the ALMA telescope, which together mapped their locations in the protoplanetary disc. The research results indicated that "we are seeing a system that looks like what our Solar System looked like when it was just beginning to form," remarked co-author Merel van ’t Hoff from Purdue University, emphasizing the relevance of the findings CBS News and ABC News.

This breakthrough discovery is pivotal not only for understanding the specific conditions that led to the formation of planets in our solar system but also sets a precedent for identifying other young planetary systems in the universe. Edwin Bergin from the University of Michigan noted, “This process has never been seen before in a protoplanetary disc – or anywhere outside our solar system,” marking a significant milestone for astronomical research Channel News Asia and Dawn.