James Webb Telescope Finds Six Rogue Planets

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered six rogue planets, free-floating objects that do not orbit any star, within the NGC 1333 nebula. These gas giants, each between five and ten times the mass of Jupiter, challenge traditional theories of star and planet formation. Researchers believe these objects may have formed through processes similar to star formation but did not accumulate enough mass to ignite as stars. One of the planets even has a dusty disk, indicating potential for forming its own mini planetary system. This discovery offers new insights into the limits of star formation and the diversity of cosmic objects. The findings, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, have been published in The Astronomical Journal.