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Do planets form within only a few years ?

By T.K. Randall
July 6, 2012 · Comment icon

12 comments

Image Credit: Lynette Cook / Gemini Observatory

Observations of a distant dust-filled solar system have shed light on the process of planet formation.

Our current understanding of planet formation suggests that planets form slowly over a period of several hundred thousand years from particles of dust left over following the birth of a star. What researchers found from observations of the TYC 8241 2652 system however was that the entire dust cloud circling the star had all but disappeared within just three years.

"The most commonly accepted time scale for the removal of this much dust is in the hundreds of thousands of years, sometimes millions," said study co-author Inseok Song. "What we saw was far more rapid and has never been observed or even predicted. It tells us that we have a lot more to learn about planet formation."

The scientists first identified their star of interest by examining data from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, or IRAS, which surveyed more than 96 percent of the sky in 1983. The star, known as TYC 8241 2652 1, was surrounded by a cloud of dust that was identifiable by its distinctive radiation of infrared energy.

Source: Phys.org | Comments (12)

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Recent comments on this story

#3 Posted by Taun 11 years ago

First off I DID NOT CLAIM THEY DID IN FACT MISUNDERSTAND THE EVIDENCE!!! I said That I would most likely believe that they did... Then I stated why I would believe that... Of course I MUST be wrong... Scientists have never been wrong before... ("Formation points" - Gravitational 'center points' where planets/ planetoids form - if they coallesced into planets there had to be a central formation point...)

#4 Posted by Taun 11 years ago

Sorry about that last posting... We are in the middle of a major family crisis right now involving a nephew who is missing under suspicious circumstances... and I had just finished speaking with his mother (my older sister -who always gets my 'dander up')... No reason for me to snap out at you like that... I appologise...

#5 Posted by OverSword 11 years ago

... So Waspie This disk, is it theorized that it will form into several planetary objects or just one? I assume that once one part of the disk gains a little more mass than the surrounding that more matter will be attracted there. Presumably this would make a tear, (guessing) and then another (heavy?) point would maybe be formed around on the other side of the star (or maybe really singularity at this point in time) and this pattern would repeat until you had several new planetoids? Hopefully one day we will be able to send probes to record the details of an event like this. Wish I was born in... [More]

#6 Posted by Uncle Sam 11 years ago

Another theory, the dust has been harvested. Like how we are starting to get into harvesting asteroids, but on such a large scale that would require an massive industrial complex of drones to do it. Of course that is a wild speculation, but if it is true, it would be the first implication of intelligent life in the universe. Some species that are able to do this would be extremely powerful and would not require to have a planet to harvest materials. Matter of fact, they would more likely be able to just hang out our neighbor hood catching asteroids and harvesting them without interfering with ... [More]

#7 Posted by csspwns 11 years ago

tat forms fast

#8 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 11 years ago

No reason for me to snap out at you like that... I appologise... No apology needed Taun, my post to you could have been more diplomatic. My best wishes to you and your family.

#9 Posted by GalaxyCell 11 years ago

The disc recently aligned itself "edge-on" with our line of sight from earth. It did not vanish, and reflects no radiation because the disc is thin and flat shaped, and fractal dust and gas. It was 1/3 as bright in 2009, and I predict that it will become visible again in a few years. Scientists cannot explain it, but my explanation is simple logic and fully predictable. The full explanation with photos (and far better story) is on my story at http://holographicgalaxy.blogspot.com/2012/07/protoplanetary-dust-cloud-gradually.html

#10 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 11 years ago

my explanation is simple logic and fully predictable. ...and almost certainly wrong. Firstly, the disk can not be infinitely thin, therefore, even though reduced, there would still be an infrared excess, the disk would still be visible. Secondly, the disk would not suddenly turn edge on, it would be a gradual process, as with the rings of Saturn. The infrared excess would reduce gradually, not just disappear suddenly as seems to have happened here. Thirdly, an edge on disk would have to occult the central star, leading to an apparent dimming of that star. None of these things have been observe... [More]

#11 Posted by GalaxyCell 11 years ago

The disc gradually became undetectable during a 2 year period measured. The sudden vanish disappearance interpretation of the disc is illogical. Dust blocks absorbs all visible and infrared emissions from the disc's aligned edge. Protoplanetary discs are not infinite as suggested, but are shaped aligned like Saturn's rings, being extremely thin seen edge-on, and not occulting starlight. Our's had extended out to about Neptune's orbit in our solar system. As a degreed scientist, I believe my theory to be true, and want NASA or some authority to research it.

#12 Posted by FreddyScienceTeacher 11 years ago

Everyone knows that planets are formed when the lowest choir of angels plays their kazoos--that's why Pluto was demoted to a planetessimal, he couldn't carry a tune. snark.

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