Astronomers have discovered six new celestial objects resembling planets but forming like stars. These intriguing rogue worlds, each ranging from five to 15 times the mass of Jupiter, may be on the path to developing a miniature solar system.
Researchers identified these unusual objects within the NGC 1333 star cluster using advanced astronomical tools. Despite their planet-like sizes, none orbit a star, suggesting potential formation from collapsing clouds of dust and gas, similar to the birth of stars like our sun. These objects, which do not possess sufficient mass for hydrogen fusion, are classified as brown dwarfs or failed stars.
One of the researchers noted, “What’s most striking is what we didn’t find. We didn’t uncover anything below five Jupiter masses, despite having the capability to detect them.” This absence indicates that brown dwarfs may only form at these larger masses, suggesting they represent the smallest objects formed through stellar processes.
Recent observations reveal that planetary mass brown dwarfs constitute approximately 10 percent of the objects in NGC 1333, a figure significantly higher than predicted by existing star formation models. This discrepancy implies that additional processes, potentially including turbulence, may contribute to the formation of these rogue worlds.
Among these brown dwarfs is a particularly notable object adorned with a ring of dust, reminiscent of the material that formed the planets in our solar system. Weighing in at around five Jupiter masses, it stands as the smallest known world with such a ring, potentially signaling the early stages of a peculiar, downsized planetary system around a failed star.
“From a miniature world orbiting one of these objects, you would see it emanating a reddish glow predominantly in the infrared, gradually fading over hundreds of millions of years,” a researcher explained. As the brown dwarf dims, any nearby planets could enter a frozen state, leading to a dark and lifeless system, making them unlikely candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Journal reference: The Astronomical Journal, in press
