A surprising discovery in a distant world suggests that our theories on planet formation may be incorrect (photo).

Scientists believe that the leading theories explaining planet formation may be incorrect. Astronomers have studied a planet outside our Solar System that is still forming, discovering that its chemical composition does not entirely match that of the protoplanetary disk from which it originated. This finding challenges standard models of planet formation. The research is published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, as reported by Live Science.

Astronomers observed the planet PDS 70b, which is approximately three times larger than Jupiter and located about 400 light-years from Earth. This planet, along with another nearby world, PDS 70c, is still in the process of formation and is gaining mass from the material in the protoplanetary disk that surrounds its star, composed of dust and gas. According to the scientists, this system provides a unique opportunity to study the relationship between forming planets and the protoplanetary disk from which they arise.

Researchers estimate that the complete formation of planet PDS 70b will be finished in about 5 million years, when it reaches its final mass.

The study's authors examined the chemical composition of the young planet's atmosphere, particularly focusing on the levels of carbon monoxide and water. This information is crucial for determining how much carbon and oxygen is present in the planet's atmosphere. These two chemical elements are the most abundant in the universe after hydrogen and helium.

Observations revealed that the atmosphere of planet PDS 70b contains much less carbon and oxygen than expected. Furthermore, its chemical composition differs from that of the protoplanetary disk. According to the scientists, this surprise finding indicates that current models of planet formation are overly simplistic.

Currently, scientists believe that all planets form when particles in the protoplanetary disk collide and stick together, ultimately leading to the creation of large objects through mass accumulation. If this process is universal, then planets should have a similar chemical composition to that of the protoplanetary disks.

The researchers proposed two scenarios that could explain the discrepancy in the chemical composition between PDS 70b and the protoplanetary disk. First, the planet may have obtained a significant portion of its carbon and oxygen not directly from the gas in the protoplanetary disk, but from solid materials such as ice and dust that contained carbon and oxygen. Observations of other planetary systems suggest that such a process is possible and may influence the chemical composition of young planets.

If this occurred during the formation of PDS 70b, the scientists argue that not only gases, but also solid components of the protoplanetary disk play a significant role in determining the chemical composition of planets. On the other hand, as the scientists suggest, carbon might have been introduced to the protoplanetary disk relatively recently, as predicted by other planet formation models.

At this point, there is insufficient data to determine which of the two scenarios is more likely. Researchers aim to observe the neighboring planet PDS 70c, which may help resolve this mystery. Meanwhile, astronomers emphasize the need to discover more similar planetary systems to better understand how planets actually form.