Astronomers have uncovered a unique solar system featuring three suns, located 489 light-years from Earth. Named ‘GG Tau-A,’ this solar system is approximately 5 million years old and is still in the early stages of planet formation. The system boasts a remarkable structure with three stars and a vast protoplanetary disk, composed of rotating gas and dust. This disk is providing the essential materials for the creation of new stars and planets, suggesting that future planets will form from this expansive gas and dust ring.
Using advanced radio telescopes in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a team of astronomers from India’s National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) made this groundbreaking discovery. They are now investigating the ongoing process of star and planet formation within this solar system. During their research, the astronomers detected molecular signals from the protoplanetary disk, which, after analysis, revealed key elements necessary for planet creation.
The detection of carbon monoxide, composed of carbon and oxygen, has been pivotal in this discovery. These elements react with other gases to form compounds such as methane. By studying the bright color of carbon monoxide, the astronomers were able to build a model of the protoplanetary disk. The molecular signals they detected came from the star’s coldest and densest regions, where the temperature is believed to be as low as minus 257.15 degrees Celsius.
