WASHINGTON: The majority of planets found outside of our solar system orbit a host star, much like Earth orbits the sun.
However, some—known as rogue planets—are out there alone. While their origins are poorly understood, astronomers have now spotted a voracious one in its infancy that offers new insight into these lonely worlds.
Researchers said this rogue planet, named Cha 1107-7626, is about five to 10 times more massive than Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet.
It was observed during a strong burst of growth at the center of a disk of gas and dust, forming much like a young star, as it gobbled up its surrounding material at a rate never previously seen in such an object.
