Astronomers have confirmed the youngest known planet, a Jupiter-size baby world less than a million years old that formed far faster than expected.

Astronomers have confirmed the youngest known planet ever observed, a world less than 1 million years old that is still surrounded by the material from which it formed. Known as Elias 2–24 b, the young planet remains embedded in a swirling disk of gas and dust around its host star.

Its extreme youth is forcing researchers to reconsider how quickly large planets can take shape.