PIA11747: Baby Jupiters Must Gain Weight Fast
This photograph from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the young star cluster NGC 2362. By studying it, astronomers found that gas giant planet formation happens very rapidly and efficiently, within less than 5 million years.
 Mission:  Spitzer Space Telescope 
 Instrument:  IRAC 
 Product Size:  708 x 799 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  California Institute of Technology 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA11747.tif (1.699 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA11747.jpg (82.57 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

This photograph from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the young star cluster NGC 2362. By studying it, astronomers found that gas giant planet formation happens very rapidly and efficiently, within less than 5 million years, meaning that Jupiter-like worlds experience a growth spurt in their infancy.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA

Image Addition Date:
2009-01-06