Previously, astronomers have observed giant planets, like Jupiter, forming in the giant discs around young stars. According to the ESO, this discovery shows the first minerals condensing and growing in size and mass. Eventually, this process will form planets.

Astronomers have discovered the earliest seeds of rocky planets forming in the gas around a baby sun-like star, providing a precious peek into the dawn of our solar system.

Astronomers first identified these minerals using the now-three-year-old James Webb Space Telescope. To see where exactly the signals were coming from, they studied the system with the ALAMA telescope, which is operated by the European Space Agency with international partners in Chile’s Atacama Desert.