US EditionRogue Planet Mass and Distance Measured for First Time
Combining Earth- and space-based observations, astronomers measured a rogue planet’s Saturn-like mass and distance, revealing clues about its origin and planetary system ejection.
- In a new study published in Science on Thursday, Subo Dong's team measured a free-floating planet's mass at about 22 percent of Jupiter and its distance at 9,785 light-years.
- Using simultaneous space‑ and ground‑based microlensing observations, the researchers combined Earth and Gaia space telescope views to produce a microlensing parallax that enabled mass and distance calculations.
- The initial microlensing was detected by multiple ground telescopes in Chile, South Africa, and Australia, and Gaia, about 1.5 million kilometers away, also observed it, researchers say.
- Researchers say the measured mass suggests the object was born in a planetary system and was later ejected, and having a measured mass helps estimate masses for other free‑floating planets, Udalski said.
- With NASA's Roman telescope due in 2027, scientists say its ability to survey 1,000 times faster than Hubble could identify hundreds of rogue planets, accelerating future surveys and mission planning.
39 Articles
39 Articles
A planet as hefty as Saturn wanders the galaxy in exile
Astronomers have confirmed for the first time with direct evidence that a lone, starless world is actually drifting through the Milky Way. Though scientists have documented a dozen of these so-called "rogue planets" in the past decade, this one isn't merely an educated guess based on a handful of clues. By catching the same brief cosmic alignment from Earth and space, researchers were able to directly measure the celestial object’s mass. In doin…
Rare 'free floating' exoplanet 10,000 light-years from Earth detected through gravitational lensing
"Our discovery offers further evidence that the galaxy may be teeming with rogue planets." Rogue planets — worlds that drift through space alone without a star — largely remain a mystery to scientists. Now, astronomers have for the first time confirmed the existence of one of these starless worlds by pinpointing its distance and mass — a rogue planet roughly the size of Saturn nearly 10,000 light-years from Earth. Planets are typically found bou…
Astronomers measure both mass and distance of a rogue planet for the first time
While most planets that we are familiar with stick relatively close to their host star in a predictable orbit, some planets seem to have been knocked out of their orbits, floating through space free of any particular gravitational attachments. Astronomers refer to these lonely planets as "free-floating" or "rogue" planets.
der Standard AT
der Standard DEOnly by the curvature of space could the new planet be detected and measured. For the first time a size determination was achieved in such an object.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
