We have a lot of theories about how planets are formed, but the problem is, we’ve never seen a planet formed up close. At least until (possibly), now.
Meet LkCa 15b. It’s quite possibly the first planet that we’re going to be able to see form as it happens.
Astronomers are, however, hedging their bets because they’re scientists, and that’s pretty much what they do. But they know what it’s not: a background object, a low-mass star, some schmutz on the lens. They’ve just ruled out all the possibilities they could think of that aren’t “one of the single most exciting discoveries in recent astronomy”, but they’re not going to call it just yet.
Besides, it takes millions of years to form a planet, so it’s not like it’ll coalesce into something awesome in a week.
[ via the old planets at Bad Astronomy ]