Study co-author Andrew Mann, astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin, speculated that the orbital migration patterns of close-in planets may affect how terrestrial planets form. The 11 million-year-old exoplanet, named K2-33b, swiftly orbits around its star—K2-33—in just 5.4 daysAn illustration showing the K2-33, one of the youngest exoplanets detected to date. Photo: AFP/NASA/JPL-CaltechWashington: Astronomers announced on Monday the discovery of the youngest planet ever found outside our solar system, lending new insight into how planetary systems form. The 11 million-year-old exoplanet, named K2-33b, swiftly orbits around its star—K2-33—in just 5.4 days. “If Jupiter or Neptune had migrated inward after the terrestrial planets formed, it seems unlikely that our solar system would have an Earth, or any of the terrestrial planets at all,” Mann said in a statement.

Source: Mint June 21, 2016 06:30 UTC