Our solar system is full of planets that we’re still learning about. And while we all know there are countless other planets in other solar systems, in other galaxies, did you know there’s something called rogue planets? Whether you’ve heard about them or not, we have found some of the scariest facts about rogue planets. Let’s dive into what rogue planets are and what we know about them so far.
5. They’re Free Planets
As you may know, our solar system is in a beautiful dance orbiting around our star, the Sun. Like other solar systems, planets move around in a circle or oblong shape. But rogue planets do not follow the same law, as they freely float between galaxies.
4. Rogue Planet Formations
Most rogue planets are believed to be smaller than brown dwarfs, which are objects that are intermediate sizes between planets and stars. One of the scariest facts about rogue planets is that astronomers believe they have a mass of about 13 Jupiter’s, or about 0.013 times the mass of the Sun.
Also Read: Weird Space Facts About Our Universe
3. The Makings of a Rogue Planet
But how does this come to be? If we’re stuck orbiting our Sun with a bunch of planets, how does a rogue planet form? Most are ejected during the early stages of planetary formation where systems are usually more chaotic. Some believe that binary star systems are the cause of the most rogue planets compared to single star systems, like our own.
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2. The First Discovered
Rogue planets are hard to see, and unfortunately, there are no photos of a rogue planet, just artist illustrations. And interestingly enough, rogue planets were not discovered until recently, back in 2000. The discovery was made by the UK team Lucas & Roche with UKIRT in the Orion Nebula.
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1. Life on Rogue Planets
It’s hard to learn much about rogue planets because they are so far away. But there are ideas still. One of the scariest facts about rogue planets is that, since they do not orbit a star, it was believed to be icy and incapable of sustaining life. However, they possibly retain their original hydrogen-helium atmosphere to heat liquid on their surface, meaning they could sustain life. Imagine life on a planet that flies through space freely.
