Leiden discovery of planetary births is worldwide news
In Germany, the United States and even in Vietnam: all over the world, the Leiden discovery of the birth of two planets was shared. Astronomer Sebastiaan Haffert and his team were able to record multiple planets in the making for the first time and published their findings in Nature Astronomy. A unique achievement that did not go unnoticed.
'This discovery is actually a missing link', says Haffert at the Dutch NPO Radio 1. 'We know what adult planetary systems look like, but until recently we've never seen a planet that's still in the process of being born.' Haffert's discovery helps our understanding of how planets form.
Media overview
Haffert's discovery has appeared in more than 200 articles worldwide. Below is a small selection:
- Daily Mail – Astronomers spot TWO exoplanets in the early stages of existence orbiting a young star 370 light-years away
- Fox News – Growing alien worlds spotted in 'planet nursery' around young star
- Heise online – Entstehende Monde um Exoplanet: Erstmals zirkumplanetare Scheibe abgebildet
- Phys.org – A pair of fledgling planets directly seen growing around a young star
- IFL Science – Exoplanets Have Been Caught In The Act Of Forming Moons For The First Time
- Science Alert – Astronomers Have Taken Actual, Direct Images of a Pair of Planets Being Born
- Cienciaplus – Primera imagen de dos mundos formándose en una brecha de disco estelar
- Geek.com – Growing ‘Alien’ Exoplanets Are Observed Circling a Distant Star
- NRC – Twee stofzuigers cirkelen om een jonge ster
- NPO Radio 1 – Nederlandse astronomen leveren eerste directe bewijs voor geboorte planeten