Astronomers capture an unprecedented view of gas giant formation in action

Astronomers captured an unprecedented view of gas giant formation in action using ALMA data. The image shows the interactions between WISPIT 2b, a gas giant with five times the mass of Jupiter, and the surrounding gas of its birthplace. The image reveals gas moving towards and away from us, indicating a swirling motion around the protoplanet. The discovery provides direct evidence of a gas giant still accreting material, which is rare and valuable.

• WISPIT 2b is located 57 astronomical units (au) from the central stars, almost twice as far as Neptune is from the sun.
• The image shows both planets shaping their environment, with WISPIT 2c carving a cavity and WISPIT 2b creating a gap.
• The swirls of gas around WISPIT 2b were predicted by simulations but never seen before, making it the only protoplanet for which we can see the protoplanetary disk.

The new discovery highlights the complexity of planet formation and the importance of direct observations. The team used ALMA to take detailed images of the disk and gas, providing the first clear view of a gas giant in the process of forming. The findings could help resolve debates about whether swirling features in disks indicate the presence of unseen planets or are due to turbulent processes. The data also offer a unique opportunity to study the interaction between a protoplanet and its surrounding gas, contributing to our understanding of how planets form.

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