Research using the James Webb Space Telescope on the Orion Nebula’s protoplanetary disc d203-506 shows massive stars’ critical role in planetary system formation, affecting the possibility of Jupiter-like planet formation. Credit: SciTechDaily.comto study a protoplanetary disc in the Orion Nebula, revealing how massive stars significantly influence the formation of planetary systems.
These stars, which are around 10 times more massive, and more importantly 100,000 times more luminous than the Sun, expose any planets forming in such systems nearby to very intense ultraviolet radiation. Depending on the mass of the star at the center of the planetary system, this radiation can either help planets to form, or alternatively prevent them from doing so by dispersing their matter.