Newfound 'baby' planet smashes record for youngest known world

Written and edited by the WorldPing NewsdeskPublished Updated Original reporting: Phys.org
Newfound 'baby' planet smashes record for youngest known worldWorldPing
Image via Phys.org.

What happened

Astronomers have confirmed a world less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from archives.

Called Elias 2-24 b, the baby planet is still whirling in its natal disk of dust and gas.

Key facts

  • Astronomers have confirmed a world less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from archives.
  • Called Elias 2-24 b, the baby planet is still whirling in its natal disk of dust and gas.
  • Reported by Phys.org and published Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:00:02 UTC.

Why it matters

Research findings and mission results set the evidence base that policy, funding and later discoveries build on.

What to watch next

  • Peer review status and replication of the findings
  • Mission milestones and next scheduled attempt
  • Funding or policy decisions that follow

Coverage timeline

When each newsroom published on this story, oldest first — all times UTC.

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  3. Newfound 'baby' planet smashes record for youngest known world

Sources

The original report was published by Phys.org. WorldPing does not claim that reporting — this page summarises and contextualises it.

Read the full report at Phys.org

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