# Elias 2-24 b: Keck II archive data reveal a Jupiter-mass exoplanet younger than 1 million years

- Published: 2026-11-10 22:32 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Astronomy
- Tags: Elias 2-24 b, youngest exoplanet, Keck II archive data, Jupiter-mass planet, protoplanetary disk, core accretion, gas giant formation, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Andrea Bernardi, ALMA
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-cd680f5239f057119d1d8c62_elias_2_24/

**Astronomers confirmed Elias 2-24 b, the youngest exoplanet yet detected in images, in archival Keck II data. It formed faster than traditional models predict.**

![Elias 2-24 b: Keck II archive data reveal a Jupiter-mass exoplanet younger than 1 million years](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/0ccae3753b221bef.jpg)
*catracalivre.com.br*

According to catracalivre.com.br, astronomers have confirmed Elias 2-24 b, the youngest exoplanet yet recorded, using archival Keck II telescope data collected between 2018 and 2020. [1] Its mass is comparable to that of Jupiter, and its age is under 1 million years. [1] The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, was led by Andrea Bernardi of Diego Portales University. [1]

## Archive data and observations

The Keck II records from 2018 to 2020 were re-examined with modern methods, which revealed details that had gone unnoticed earlier. [1] Confirming the object's properties also required complementary facilities, including ALMA, along with NASA data and large ground-based telescopes. [1] Together they made it possible to isolate signals from heated matter and to separate the planet's radiation from the strong glare of the host star. [1]

The planet sits inside an extended protoplanetary disk of dust grains and primordial gas. [1] According to the report, it shapes this structure and draws in debris as it moves along its orbit. [1]

## Growth faster than models allow

The planet is still accumulating gas from the dust cloud surrounding its host star. [1] The researchers were surprised by how fast the structure formed, since gas bodies this large usually need more time. [1] Traditional formation models did not predict such rapid development in under 1 million years. [1]

A second difficulty is the large physical distance between the planet and its star. [1] Classical core accretion explanations face theoretical barriers in accounting for so much matter gathering this quickly and this far from the star. [1]

According to the source, the finding leads researchers to revise earlier theories of gas giant formation, and new computer simulations now consider alternative paths of ultrafast growth. [1] The result also shows the scientific value of observational archives: older images can still yield new findings without a new space mission. [1]

## Sources

1. [catracalivre.com.br](https://catracalivre.com.br/noticias/astronomos-encontram-o-exoplaneta-mais-jovem-ja-detectado-em-imagens-antigas-de-telescopio-o-gigante-tem-menos-de-1-milhao-de-anos-e-cresceu-mais-rapido-do-que-os-modelos-cientificos-conseguem-explic)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-cd680f5239f057119d1d8c62_elias_2_24/