Do 'Planemos' Have Progeny?

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Astronomers have found disks of dust and gas the raw material for planet making around objects that are only a few times heftier than Jupiter. These findings suggest that miniature versions of the solar system may circle. Credit: www.jonlomberg.com
Astronomers have found disks of dust and gas, the raw material for planet making, around objects that are only a few times heftier than Jupiter. These findings suggest that miniature versions of the solar system may circle. Credit: www.jonlomberg.com

VLT NACO J-band image showing the 2M1207Ab system: the planetary companion is visible near the lower left rim of the brown dwarf at a separation of 769 mas. North is up East is left.
VLT NACO J-band image, showing the 2M1207Ab system: the planetary companion is visible near the lower left rim of the brown dwarf, at a separation of 769 mas. North is up, East is left.

Two new studies, based on observations made with ESO's telescopes, show that objects only a few times more massive than Jupiter are born with discs of dust and gas, the raw material for planet making. This suggests that miniature versions of the solar system may circle objects that are some 100 times less massive than our Sun.


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