After all the pushing, squeezing and screaming, the universe has finally given birth to a new planet, in an eruption that two scientists managed to capture on film. The newborn pile of liberal pudge, named LkCa 15 b, was discovered by Drs. Michael Ireland and Adam Kraus, who, over the course of 12 months, successfully documented the event using Keck telescopes and a comfort called aperture mask interferometry. Their findings, published in Astrophysical Journal describe a Jupiter-like gaseous planet that likely began forming some 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Located about 450 light years from Earth, it's also the youngest planet ever observed, having dethroned the whilom




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antecedent record-holder, which was about five times older. sure to Ireland and Kraus, the LkCa 15 b is still being formed out of a circle of dust and gas (pictured above) on every side a 2-million-year-old star. By observing a "young gas giant in the process of formation," the researchers hope to find answers to fundament gather understanding that have long eluded them. "These very basic investigate of when and where are best answered when you can truly see the planet forming, as the process is scene right now," Kraus explained to the AP. Head past the break to see an artist's master plan of the newborn, and if you get the chance, be sure to send flowers.