Astronomers Discover Youngest Known Planet Elias 2

Astronomers have confirmed Elias 2-24 b as the youngest known planet, with an estimated age of less than 1 million years as of 17 September 2026. The planet orbits Elias 2-24, a star located about 450 light-years from Earth, and it remains embedded in the dusty gas-and-debris disk from which it formed.

Elias 2-24 b lies in a prominent gap within the protoplanetary disk of its host star. The planet has a mass comparable to Jupiter, which places it among gas giant planets in size and composition.