A first look at the protoplanet WISPIT 2 b with VLTI/GRAVITY+
Abstract
Confirmed observations of young protoplanets actively undergoing the process of formation have remained rare to date. In this Letter, we present new insights into the nature of the recently identified protoplanet WISPIT 2 b (age ∼ 5 Myr) from VLTI/GRAVITY+ observations. Through the analysis of the spectral energy distribution (SED) and astrometry of WISPIT 2 b, with the inclusion of new GRAVITY+ data, we investigate the nature of the protoplanet's thermal emission and orbital properties. We performed an orbit fit with the inclusion of new high-precision GRAVITY+ astrometry to provide an updated orbital solution. We also analyzed the medium resolution GRAVITY+ K band spectrum in combination with new VLT/SPHERE and literature photometry, exploring both the atmospheric properties and the constraints on the circumplanetary environment. Finally, we checked for any signal from a resolved circumplanetary disk in the GRAVITY+ data. We detected the protoplanet WISPIT 2 b at ∼322 mas separation from its host star. The new GRAVITY+ astrometry prefers an orbit with a moderate eccentricity. Analysis of the SED reveals an effective temperature in the 900 to 1300 K regime and a slight preference for atmospheric models including clouds over pure blackbody emission. While the GRAVITY+ observations do also not resolve a circumplanetary disk, we place an upper limit on the possible spatial extent of such a disk. The new GRAVITY+ observations independently confirm WISPIT 2 b as a self-luminous and point-like companion residing inside the gap of the transitional disk at ∼60 au from its host star. Further observations - either at higher signal-to-noise ratio or at longer wavelengths - are required to characterize the atmosphere and examine the presence of circumplanetary material from thermal emission of the dust.
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BibTeX
@misc{collaboration2026first,
title = {{A first look at the protoplanet WISPIT 2 b with VLTI/GRAVITY+}},
author = {GRAVITY+ Collaboration and K. Abd El Dayem and R. Abuter and N. Aimar and M. Benisty and A. Berdeu and J. -P. Berger and A. Boccaletti and H. Bonnet and G. Bourdarot and W. Brandner and Y. Cao and L. M. Close and C. Correia and S. Cuevas Cardona and R. Davies and D. Defrère and L. Delit and F. Delplancke and A. Drescher and A. Eckart and F. Eisenhauer and L. Esteras Otal and M. Fabricius and A. Farah and H. Feuchtgruber and S. Flesch and N. M. Förster Schreiber and A. Foschi and Q. Fournier and P. Garcia and R. Garcia Lopez and R. Genzel and S. Gillessen and C. Ginski and T. Gomes and F. Gonté and V. Gopinath and J. Graf and M. Hartl and X. Haubois and F. Haussmann and T. Henning and S. F. Hönig and M. Houllé and H. -C. Jiang and S. Joharle and J. Kammerer and A. Kaufer and C. Keiman and M. A. Kenworthy and P. Kervella and J. Kolb and L. Kreidberg and L. Labadie and R. Laugier and S. Lacour and O. Lai and C. Lawlor and J. -B. Le Bouquin},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.21629},
eprint = {2610.21629},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21629},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A first look at the protoplanet WISPIT 2 b with VLTI/GRAVITY+
AU - GRAVITY+ Collaboration
AU - K. Abd El Dayem
AU - R. Abuter
AU - N. Aimar
AU - M. Benisty
AU - A. Berdeu
AU - J. -P. Berger
AU - A. Boccaletti
AU - H. Bonnet
AU - G. Bourdarot
AU - W. Brandner
AU - Y. Cao
AU - L. M. Close
AU - C. Correia
AU - S. Cuevas Cardona
AU - R. Davies
AU - D. Defrère
AU - L. Delit
AU - F. Delplancke
AU - A. Drescher
AU - A. Eckart
AU - F. Eisenhauer
AU - L. Esteras Otal
AU - M. Fabricius
AU - A. Farah
AU - H. Feuchtgruber
AU - S. Flesch
AU - N. M. Förster Schreiber
AU - A. Foschi
AU - Q. Fournier
AU - P. Garcia
AU - R. Garcia Lopez
AU - R. Genzel
AU - S. Gillessen
AU - C. Ginski
AU - T. Gomes
AU - F. Gonté
AU - V. Gopinath
AU - J. Graf
AU - M. Hartl
AU - X. Haubois
AU - F. Haussmann
AU - T. Henning
AU - S. F. Hönig
AU - M. Houllé
AU - H. -C. Jiang
AU - S. Joharle
AU - J. Kammerer
AU - A. Kaufer
AU - C. Keiman
AU - M. A. Kenworthy
AU - P. Kervella
AU - J. Kolb
AU - L. Kreidberg
AU - L. Labadie
AU - R. Laugier
AU - S. Lacour
AU - O. Lai
AU - C. Lawlor
AU - J. -B. Le Bouquin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.21629
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21629
AB - Confirmed observations of young protoplanets actively undergoing the process of formation have remained rare to date. In this Letter, we present new insights into the nature of the recently identified protoplanet WISPIT 2 b (age ∼ 5 Myr) from VLTI/GRAVITY+ observations. Through the analysis of the spectral energy distribution (SED) and astrometry of WISPIT 2 b, with the inclusion of new GRAVITY+ data, we investigate the nature of the protoplanet's thermal emission and orbital properties. We performed an orbit fit with the inclusion of new high-precision GRAVITY+ astrometry to provide an updated orbital solution. We also analyzed the medium resolution GRAVITY+ K band spectrum in combination with new VLT/SPHERE and literature photometry, exploring both the atmospheric properties and the constraints on the circumplanetary environment. Finally, we checked for any signal from a resolved circumplanetary disk in the GRAVITY+ data. We detected the protoplanet WISPIT 2 b at ∼322 mas separation from its host star. The new GRAVITY+ astrometry prefers an orbit with a moderate eccentricity. Analysis of the SED reveals an effective temperature in the 900 to 1300 K regime and a slight preference for atmospheric models including clouds over pure blackbody emission. While the GRAVITY+ observations do also not resolve a circumplanetary disk, we place an upper limit on the possible spatial extent of such a disk. The new GRAVITY+ observations independently confirm WISPIT 2 b as a self-luminous and point-like companion residing inside the gap of the transitional disk at ∼60 au from its host star. Further observations - either at higher signal-to-noise ratio or at longer wavelengths - are required to characterize the atmosphere and examine the presence of circumplanetary material from thermal emission of the dust.
ER -