We finally know how the most common types of planets are created
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 9-Jan-2026 01:11 ET (9-Jan-2026 06:11 GMT/UTC)
Planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune are the most common kind in the galaxy, but because our solar system lacks such a planet, scientists don’t know much about how they form. Astronomers have now witnessed four baby planets in the V1298 Tau system in the process of becoming super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. Despite being 5 to 10 times Earth’s radius, the planets had masses only 5 to 15 times Earth’s. This means they are very low-density, comparable to Styrofoam, whereas the Earth has the density of rock.
– January 7, 2026 (London time) – One of the biggest recent surprises in astronomy is the discovery that most stars like the Sun harbor a planet between the size of Earth and Neptune within the orbit of Mercury — sizes and orbits absent from our solar system. These ‘super-Earths and sub-Neptunes’ are the galaxy's most common planets, but their formation has been shrouded in mystery. Now, an international team of astronomers has found a crucial missing link. By weighing four newborn planets in the V1298 Tau system, they've captured a rare snapshot of worlds in the process of transforming into the galaxy's most common planetary types.
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