planetary system

Catching planets in the act of forming is important because astronomers can glean information not only about the formation process, but how chemical elements get distributed throughout a planetary system.

But scientists also have known for a long time that planet-forming disks start out with 100 times more mass in gas than solids, which leads to a pressing question: When and how does most of the gas leave a nascent planetary system?

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, the team obtained images from such a nascent planetary system -- also known as a circumstellar disk -- in the process of actively dispersing its gas into surrounding space.

During the very early stages of planetary system formation, planets coalesce in a spinning disk of gas and tiny dust around the young star, according to Bajaj.

During the very early stages of planetary system formation, planets coalesce in a spinning disk of gas and tiny dust around the young star.