On December 20, 2024, astronomers utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made significant strides in understanding the formation of planets in the early universe. This study focuses on the oldest known exoplanet, a gas giant approximately 2.5 times the mass of Jupiter, located around 5,600 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.
The exoplanet's existence, dating back to less than one billion years after the Big Bang, challenges prevailing theories about cosmic evolution. Current models suggest that with a scarcity of heavier elements, the disks of material surrounding young stars have short lifespans, insufficient for substantial planet formation.
Elena Sabbi from the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab stated that these findings indicate that planet formation may have occurred earlier than previously thought, even around primitive stars in the nascent universe. The JWST team aims to study early planetary disks by observing the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy.
Within this galaxy lies the dense star cluster NGC 346, which presents a unique opportunity to explore the conditions conducive to planet formation in the early universe.