When new stars form, they gather an accretion disk of gas and dust around them, eventually turning into planets.
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When new stars form, they gather an accretion disk of gas and dust around them, eventually turning into planets. This period lasts less than 10 million years, as the increasing radiation from the young star eventually clears out the remaining material. New observations from JWST have shown a protoplanetary disk in a system that's probably 30 million years old, triple the normal lifespan of a disk like this. Astronomers have ruled out a debris disk from colliding planets.
James Webb Telescope reveals planet-forming disks can last longer than previously thought | University of Arizona News
Researchers at the University of Arizona have discovered that planet-forming disks of gas and dust around tiny stars live much longer than previously thought. The findings provide new insights into planet formation and the habitability of planets outside our solar system.
(news.arizona.edu)
