A group of astronomers have discovered at least 70 rogue planets in our galaxy, which is the largest find of such bodies. An article by scientists on December 22 was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
For their research, they used data from ground-based and space telescopes over the past 20 years. In total, the found group may contain up to 170 planets. The inaccuracy in the number of objects is associated with the difficulties in determining the age of the region under study and the lack of accurate data on the mass of open objects.
The planets are located at the top of the constellations Scorpio and Ophiuchus. To detect them, astronomers processed 80.8 thousand wide-angle images.
Orphan planets, or rogue planets, are those planets that are in interstellar space and are not gravitationally associated with a star or brown dwarf. Over the past 20 years, about two dozen such bodies have been discovered.
In early 2021, astronomers discovered a system of six exoplanets orbiting a star with a specific orbital resonance. There is no such pattern in any of the known planetary systems, so the find was considered unique.
The astronomers managed to make the discovery using a combination of powerful telescopes. First, scientists found three planets, and then they saw the rest. It seemed to unusual researchers that all the planets move in orbits in a consistent rhythm, that is, they are in resonance. It is known that the fastest planet in the system revolves around its axis for about two days, and the slowest – about 10 times longer.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
