First Direct Image of Protoplanet Swirling Surrounding Gas

The first direct image of a protoplanet forming in a swirling ball of gas and dust, known as WISPIT 2b, marks a significant advancement in understanding planetary formation. The image, captured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), reveals the protoplanet's interaction with its companion, WISPIT 2c, which has carved a cavity and created a gap in the protoplanetary disk. This discovery provides visual evidence of disk-planet interactions and offers insight into the process of accretion, where rocks clump together to form planets. The image highlights the dynamic nature of protoplanetary disks and the role of protoplanets in shaping their environments.

• WISPIT 2b is estimated to be about five times as massive as Jupiter and is located about 57 AU from its host star.
• WISPIT 2c orbits interior of WISPIT 2b at 15 AU and is estimated to be 8 to 12 Jupiter masses.
• The image shows WISPIT 2b swirling in the gas and dust it is collecting, with blue and red denoting gas that is moving towards and away from us, respectively.
• ALMA's high-resolution imaging capabilities allow for detailed observations of protoplanetary disks, which are far more challenging to image than exoplanets due to their smaller size.

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