Astronomers Confirm Two Protoplanets in WISPIT 2 System
An international team of astronomers, led by Chloe Lawlor, a PhD student at the University of Galway, discovered a second planet, WISPIT 2c, orbiting the young star WISPIT 2. Earlier, astronomers had directly imaged a young gas giant, WISPIT 2b, forming within the star's protoplanetary disk located approximately 437 light-years away. This discovery provided new insights into planetary formation processes around young stars.
Subsequently, researchers confirmed the existence of both WISPIT 2b and WISPIT 2c as forming giant planets in the WISPIT 2 system. Using the Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert, the team obtained rare direct images of these planets, offering a unique opportunity to study planetary formation in real time. This confirmation enhances scientific understanding of how planets develop around young stars.
