A mysterious large object is floating around outside our solar system and researchers aren't sure exactly what it is - although it could be a rogue planet.

In the first radio-telescope detection of a planetary-mass object beyond our solar system, astronomers have found the strange celestial body has 12.7 times the mass of Jupiter. It doesn't appear to orbit a parent star, however, and is only 20 light-years away from Earth.

"This object is right at the boundary between a planet and a brown dwarf, or 'failed star,' and is giving us some surprises that can potentially help us understand magnetic processes on both stars and planets," study lead astronomer Melodie Kao said.

A brown dwarf is an object too large to be a planet, but isn't big enough to sustain the nuclear fusion of hydrogen in its core that is vital to stars.

The object, which has been named SIMP J01365663+0933473, was first detected in 2016, but was thought to be a brown dwarf. The latest data reveals it's younger than first thought at a relatively youthful 200 million years old, and its mass is smaller, so it could be classified as a planet. Its temperature is also far cooler than the sun, at 825 degrees Celsius. It also has a strong magnetic field, 200 times the strength of Jupiter.

The researchers were able to pick up on the object's magnetic activity using a powerful radio astronomy observatory called the Very Large Array, a National Science Foundation facility in New Mexico.

The methods used suggest the researchers may have "a new way of detecting exoplanets, including the elusive rogue ones not orbiting a parent star," researcher Gregg Hallinan said.

a rogue planet sounds unpredictable mo .. look forward to future discoveries though it makes me realise how little we know and how vulnerable planet earth is

So they are finally telling us about it..Now is probably the time to start worrying..That little planet has some friends too..

I'm not real sure it's actually a planet, at 875°c, it seems to be to hot for being in the middle of cold space

20 light-years away from Earth!

The two main stars are Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, which form a binary pair. They are an average of 4.3 light-years from Earth. The third star is Proxima Centauri. It is about 4.22 light-years from Earth and is the closest star other than the Sun.

20 light-years away from Earth is not close at all.
As a matter of reference it is almost 5 times further away than 3 known stars.

SIMP J01365663+0933473's mass, size and temperature is insignificant, its magnetism is slightly significant.
White dwarf and brown dwarf star remnants are very abundant in the galaxy.
Super-Jupiter planets are very abundant in the galaxy.
The only thing significant is the fact that it is a free-ranging mass.

Whoever wrote the source article is trying to grandstand by playing on people's fears.

rogue planets are a lot harder to find the rogue stars or black holes,since I know they've found some of each, but this is the first time hearing they found a rogue planet... there was something they found in the 80's, might have been a rogue star, not sure but it was about 20 lys away as well...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4312926/Mysterious-space-object-baffles-astronomers.html


http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/lone-planetary-mass-object-found-in-family-of-stars

2 more similar, but further away

Yes, a rougue planet is uncommon.
Since we seem to understand the basics of star and planet formation, it had to have originated in a star system.
There are few conditions that might eject a planet from its parent star's gravitational influence.
A supernova, nearby hyper-nova, a black hole or other massive object (neutron star fragment) passing in close proximity, possibly even an inner system collision at just the right angle?

Now that it has been identified as rogue, we should be able to plot its course and back-track to see where it originated. I'm almost willing to bet there is some type of nova in its past. If nothing is found, they should look for disturbances related to high mass objects like black holes or neutron star fragments.


That aspect is pretty significant. Its the rogue nature that make this worthy of consideration, even if it is a failed star or a dwarf it is significant because it is separated.

I just had a few really nice looking woman move into my neighborhood. I wonder if I could get my hands on that Very Large Array telescope for a week or so...some serous peeping Tom stuff.

just hide a cam in her bathroom...

Very interesting, last weekend I have been in an astrological observation, where I m located we have excellent conditions for SkyView observation

looking at the night skies is always one of my favs, after alien hunting tho...