Astronomers discover extremely young exoplanet
天文學家發現極其年輕的系外行星
更新於: 2026年9月18日 上午12:15
Astronomers have achieved a groundbreaking discovery: the youngest exoplanet ever observed, named Elias 2-24 b.
天文學家取得了一項突破性的發現：有史以來觀察到最年輕的系外行星，命名為 Elias 2-24 b。
Located 450 light-years away, this gas giant is estimated to be less than one million years old.
這顆氣體巨行星距離地球四百五十光年，估計年齡不到一百萬年。
It orbits a young star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk of gas and dust.
它圍繞著一顆被氣體和塵埃組成的原行星盤所包圍的年輕恆星運行。
What makes this discovery so remarkable is the planet's size—between two and four times the mass of Jupiter—and its extreme youth.
這項發現之所以引人注目，是因為這顆行星的尺寸——其質量為木星的二至四倍——以及它極其年輕的狀態。
Current scientific models suggested it should take at least five million years for a planet of this magnitude to form.
目前的科學模型顯示，如此規模的行星形成至少需要五百萬年。
By actively gathering material from its surroundings, Elias 2-24 b is challenging our understanding of planetary evolution.
Elias 2-24 b 通過積極地從周圍環境中收集物質，挑戰了我們對行星演化的理解。
Researchers made this discovery by using a coronagraph at the W.M.
研究人員是利用 W.M.
Keck Observatory to block the host star's bright light, allowing them to image the faint newborn planet directly.
Keck 天文台的日冕儀遮擋主恆星的強光，才得以直接拍攝到這顆微弱的新生行星。
This international effort, involving data from multiple observatories including ALMA and the VLT, provides a rare look at a solar system in its infancy.
這項國際合作匯集了來自包括 ALMA 和 VLT 在內的多個天文台的數據，讓我們得以罕見地一窺尚處於襁褓期的太陽系。
As the most extreme 'baby' planet found to date, Elias 2-24 b will likely force astronomers to rethink how planetary systems are born.
作為迄今為止發現最極端的「嬰兒」行星，Elias 2-24 b 很可能會迫使天文學家重新思考行星系統是如何誕生的。
