Produced by: Manoj Kumar
A star’s planet-forming disk was expected to vanish after 10 million years—but a new discovery shows it can last three times longer, changing what we know about planetary formation.
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Astronomers found a 30-million-year-old disk still rich in gas, proving some planetary nurseries survive far longer than previously thought—if the host star is small enough.
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The longer a disk lasts, the more time planets have to form. This unexpected discovery suggests low-mass stars might produce more planets than once believed.
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A long-lived disk could explain the strange arrangement of planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, where multiple Earth-sized worlds orbit a red dwarf in perfect harmony.
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Despite lasting longer, the chemical composition of these disks remains stable over time, providing a consistent environment for planets to form and potentially host life.
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The star’s disk isn’t a debris field from asteroid collisions—it still contains primordial gas, confirming it’s an active planet-forming region rather than just leftover rubble.
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Low-mass stars like this one vastly outnumber sun-like stars in the universe. Understanding their disks could reshape how we search for habitable worlds.
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Studying long-lived disks gives astronomers a rare glimpse into planetary system evolution—like discovering a missing page in the universe’s scrapbook.
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The clock on planet formation just got extended, meaning worlds in these long-lived disks might have a greater chance of developing conditions suitable for life.
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