Astronomers Unveil New Insights into Planet Formation with SPAM

Astronomers at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island, have achieved a significant breakthrough in understanding how planets form. Their research, conducted on November 5, 2025, focuses on a young star known as HD 34282, revealing new insights into the processes that shape planetary systems.

The team, led by Christina Vides, a graduate student at the University of California Irvine, utilized the observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRC2) to peer into the dusty regions surrounding HD 34282. This star, located approximately 400 light-years from Earth, is encircled by a thick ring of gas and dust—a structure referred to as a “transition disk.” This environment is believed to be influenced by the emergence of planets, making it a prime target for study.

Detailed Observations of Planetary Birthplaces

By employing advanced imaging techniques, Vides and her colleagues captured the most detailed view of the inner regions of HD 34282’s disk to date. Their observations revealed distinct clumpy structures and brightness patterns, suggesting possible planet-forming activity. Although no confirmed protoplanets were detected during this study, the data provided the tightest constraints yet on potential locations where young planets might exist. Additionally, the research offered estimates of the star’s mass and accretion rate, which are critical for modeling how the surrounding material might evolve into planets.

Detecting protoplanets at such an early stage is notably rare and technically demanding. As of now, only two confirmed protoplanets—PDS 70 b and PDS 70 c—have been directly imaged. Both were discovered in 2020 using the same NIRC2 instrument. Each new observation pushes the boundaries of our understanding of planetary system formation from disks of gas and dust.

Future Endeavors in Planetary Research

Moving forward, the research team plans to continue utilizing the observatory’s advanced instruments to study additional young stars that exhibit promising disk structures. They are also preparing for the implementation of new technology, such as SCALES, a next-generation high-contrast imager currently under development at the Keck Observatory. This new tool aims to enhance the search for protoplanets with unprecedented detail.

“Every new system we study helps us understand a little more about how planets form and evolve,” Vides stated. “It’s incredible that we can point a telescope at a young star hundreds of light-years away and actually see the conditions that could give rise to new worlds.”

The findings from this study have been published in The Astrophysical Journal, further contributing to the scientific community’s understanding of planetary formation processes. As research in this field progresses, it promises to unveil the mysteries of how worlds like our own come into existence.