An astronomical team working with the ESO has discovered what appears to be a “rogue” planet wandering alone just 100 light-years from Earth. This discovery opens our minds to the notion that such planets are more common than previously thought.
The free-floating object, called CFBDSIR2149, appears to be a gas giant planet four to seven times more massive than Jupiter. It may also be a brown dwarf. Brown dwarfs are larger than gas giants, but too small to sustain the hydrogen fusion necessary to be called a “star”.
Photo above is an artist’s representation.