Astronomers confirm Elias 2-24b, youngest exoplanet ever seen
The planet is less than 1 million years old and sits about 450 light-years away, according to a study led by Diego Portales University.
Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of Elias 2-24b, the youngest exoplanet ever observed, according to a new study. The research team was led by Andrea Bernardi at Diego Portales University in Chile.
Scientists identified the exoplanet by analyzing data from the W.M. Keck Observatory collected in 2018 and 2020. Elias 2-24b is estimated to be less than 1 million years old.
The exoplanet lies approximately 450 light-years from Earth and orbits its star at a distance of roughly 55 astronomical units.
Years of observations
Scientists had known about a gap in the disk surrounding the star Elias 2-24 for nearly a decade. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope had previously detected a point of light within this gap.
Until now, the youngest exoplanets confirmed through direct observation were those orbiting the stars PDS 70 and WISPIT 2, according to Wired.