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The ALMA telescope in Chile has provided what astronomers are calling its "best image ever." The photo shows the birth of a planet in stunning detail, offering new insight into
what our own solar system may have looked like billions of years ago. The ALMA telescope sees radio wavelengths, and this image is sharper than anything NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
has captured. (_ALMA Observatory, via_ _Facebook.com/ESO Astronomy_) SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. ALMA's image shows a planet-forming disc of dust and gas
surrounding a young star, known as HL Tau. The star is roughly 450 light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Taurus. Catherine Vlahakis, ALMA's deputy program scientist, said in
a statement that the photo "will revolutionize theories of planet formation." The disc surrounding HL Tau is "much more developed" than astronomers expected for the
star's age, implying that "the planet-formation process may be faster than previously thought," the ESO noted. Studying the disc may give scientists a better understanding of
how Earth formed. Explore More Speed Reads