PDS 70 b is a fascinating young exoplanet orbiting the star PDS 70, located roughly 370 light-years from Earth. Discovered in 2018 using the SPHERE instrument on the Paranal Observatory’s ground-based telescope, this planet is one of the very few directly imaged worlds we know, making it a real celebrity among exoplanets! PDS 70 b is still in the process of forming, surrounded by a swirling disk of gas and dust—a cosmic baby in the making. Its discovery gave astronomers a front-row seat to planet formation, offering a glimpse into how planets like our own might have come to be. Exploring PDS 70 b is like peeking at a planetary nursery with a front-row telescope seat to the birth of a world.
