Astronomers find ring-shaped zone beyond Jupiter that helped form planetesimals

Technology May 31, 2026

Astronomers just found a ring-shaped zone past Jupiter, packed with gas and dust, that acted like a planet-making workshop in our early solar system.
This discovery, published on May 31, shows the region helped build planetesimals, the solid bits that can become the building blocks of planets.

Simulations link Jupiter ring to meteorites

Using computer simulations, researchers saw that this area produced planetesimals with all sorts of compositions over time.
According to Joanna Drazkowska from the Max Planck Institute, it's thanks to changing dust and gas conditions, Jupiter's gravity clearing space, and creating a high-pressure ring.
The study also explains where rare carbon-rich meteorites found on Earth came from, connecting them back to this busy planetary birthplace.