Astronomers Confirm Second Protoplanet in WISPIT 2 System

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a second protoplanet, WISPIT 2c, in the WISPIT 2 system, offering new insights into planetary formation.

WISPIT 2 is a young star located approximately 430 light-years from Earth, surrounded by a multi-ringed protoplanetary disk. The first protoplanet, WISPIT 2b, was identified in 2025 within a gap in this disk.

The newly confirmed protoplanet, WISPIT 2c, is situated closer to the central star and is approximately twice as massive as WISPIT 2b. Both protoplanets are gas giants, similar to Jupiter and Saturn in our Solar System.

Observations using the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the GRAVITY+ instrument on the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) were instrumental in confirming WISPIT 2c's existence.

The presence of these protoplanets within distinct gaps in the protoplanetary disk supports theories that such gaps are created by forming planets as they accumulate material and clear their orbits.

The findings have been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.