Cha 1107-7626 has left scientists intrigued as it rapidly devours surrounding gas and dust in a fashion more reminiscent of a young star than a typical planet. Situated more than 600 light-years away, this rogue planet’s mass is already several times that of Jupiter and is increasing at a record pace.
New studies reveal the planet’s growth spurts involve enormous accretion rates of material, measured in billions of tonnes per second. This surprising discovery calls into question how we define planets versus stars and offers insight into early formation stages of these free-floating objects.
Lead astronomers observing with powerful telescopes in Chile and space hope the findings will shed light on the mysterious origins of rogue planets and their role in the cosmos.
