Wed Jul 23 09:17:34 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text followed by a rewritten version as a news article, keeping in mind the indicated perspective and style of “The Hindu”:
**Summary:**
Astronomers, using the James Webb Space Telescope and the ALMA observatory, have observed the initial stages of planet formation in the protoplanetary disc surrounding the young star HOPS-315. By analyzing the composition of gases and dust within the disc, they found evidence of rock vapor cooling and crystallizing into minerals similar to those found in primitive meteorites on Earth. This observation provides the first direct evidence of the condensation of solid matter from rock vapor around a star, a crucial step in the creation of rocky planets.
**News Article:**
**First Glimpse of Planetary Genesis: Webb and ALMA Capture Birth of Rocky Worlds**
**Orion Nebula – July 23, 2025:** In a landmark achievement for astrophysics, an international team of astronomers has witnessed, for the first time, the earliest stages of planet formation occurring around a distant star. The groundbreaking discovery, detailed in this month’s *Nature*, was made using the powerful NASA James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.
The focus of this celestial observation was the young star HOPS-315, located in the constellation Orion. Its protoplanetary disc, a swirling mass of gas and dust surrounding the star, is positioned in such a way that researchers could peer deep into its inner regions. Within this disc, scientists observed the telltale signs of rock vapor cooling and crystallizing into silicate minerals, the very building blocks of rocky planets like Earth.
“This is a pivotal moment in our understanding of how planets come into being,” explains Dr. Marie McClure, a lead researcher involved in the study. “We are essentially witnessing the ‘first breath’ of a potential new world.”
The combined power of the Webb telescope and ALMA allowed the team to identify silicon monoxide gas and crystalline silicates within the disc, located within 2.2 AU of the star – a region comparable to Mercury’s orbit around our Sun. Computer simulations further confirmed that temperatures in this region were high enough for dust to vaporize, releasing the gas that then cooled and re-condensed into crystals.
Intriguingly, the composition of these newly formed crystals closely resembles inclusions found in primitive meteorites that have landed on Earth. This suggests that the fundamental processes governing planet formation are consistent across different star systems.
The discovery sheds new light on the chemical processes that drive the formation of rocky planets and offers a unique opportunity to study the conditions under which life may ultimately arise in other parts of the universe. The research underscores the vital role of advanced observatories like Webb and ALMA in unlocking the secrets of the cosmos and deepening our understanding of our place within it. This insight will likely galvanize further investment in astrophysics, as India seeks to contribute increasingly meaningfully on the world stage through it’s own ambitious space research programs.
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