SUNSET: 
Water on Earth Might Predate the Solar System
Astronomers studying the water vapor around a newborn star find that it’s chemically similar to ice in solar system comets, a possible source of Earth’s oceans.
Citizen Science: Projects & Collaboration
Citizen Scientists Detect Dusty Disks
Disk Detective, a citizen science project dedicated identifying planet-forming disks around young stars, reports their latest results.
“Lucky” Images Reveal Dusty Debris Around a Star 330 Light-years Away
The transit of a large cloud of protoplanetary rubble across the face of a young star gave the Spitzer Space Telescope our best view yet of planetary evolution in action.
Largest Molecule Yet Found in Planet-forming Disk
The detection of a complex organic molecule in the disk around an infant star suggests prebiotic chemistry starts in the space between stars.
Astronomers Detect Potential Moon-forming Disk around an Exoplanet
Astronomers have made the first clear detection of a dusty disk surrounding an exoplanet, which could eventually go on to form moons.
Gravitationally Unstable Disk May Collapse to Form Planets
Astronomers investigate the spiral arms of a young star's disk and find evidence of a disk so massive that it could collapse to form planets.
Flapping "Bat Wing" Could Reveal Secrets of Planet Formation
The shadow cast by a protoplanetary disk takes the shape of a bat — and over time, flaps like one, too. The eery shadow could help astronomers understand the planet-forming material inside the disk.
Planets Appear More Massive Than Disks Where They Form
Infant worlds might gobble up dust quickly, the interstellar environment might feed protoplanetary disks, or planet-building dust could be hiding in plain sight. Although disks of gas and dust around young stars are a necessary precursor to planet formation, an expanded survey of stars in our Galaxy confirms earlier doubts…
First Confirmed Image of Newborn Planet
Astronomers using a new instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile have directly imaged a newborn planet.
Planet-forming Disks Revealed in Striking Images
Three teams of astronomers used the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope to image protoplanetary disks around nearby stars and catch planet formation in action.
Two Stars, Three Planet-forming Disks
A young pair of stars hosts three potentially planet-forming disks, and all three of them are wildly tilted with respect to each other.
Light Echoes Map Planet-forming Disk
Light’s finite speed helped astronomers pinpoint the location of the “inner wall” of the disk of dust and gas that’s feeding a fast-growing baby star.
Stars Form in Turbulent Times
New images of four circumstellar disks suggest that the star formation process is much more violent than previously thought.
New Clues in Cooking up Planets and Stars
An early peak at a forming star system reveals tantalizing clues about its origin.
Hidden Treasures in Hubble Images
A new processing technique has revealed once-invisible planetary disks encircling five stars imaged in Hubble’s archive.