The Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered a young Sun-like star, UX Tau A, which, although only 1 million years old, may already be the mother! There is a gap in the thick dust disk surrounding the star – indicating the widespread activity of a planet (or planets); Planets forming from primordial dust discs clear a path through the disc.
A process called photoevaporation can clear part of the disk from some distance from the star, but because there is a thick ring of dust close to the star, the gap, another dense dust – photoevaporation is not the cause.
If this is the case, it’s even more evidence that the stars and planets are as common a combination as peanut butter and jam, ham and eggs, or Homer and donuts.
Reference:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Youthful Star Sprouts Planets Early.” SpaceRef.
