NASA discovers youngest fully-formed planet ever

This handout illustration obtained courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech shows the K2-33, one of the youngest exoplanets detected to date. It makes a complete orbit around its star in about five days. (AFP)

NASA's planet-hunting space telescope has discovered what is believed to be the youngest fully-formed planet ever detected.

The newborn planet is estimated to be up to 10 million years old and about 500 light years from the Earth. It is as large as Neptune, which is the fourth largest planet in the solar system.

The planet, which is still in its infancy by cosmic standards, orbits a star outside of the solar system. Scientists say the discovery can provide important clues about how the planets in our own solar system were formed and evolved.


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