Huge "rogue" planet discovered roaming aimlessly outside our solar system

Scientists have discovered this huge "Rogue Planet" which also has a *very* strong magnetic field and a large aurora, aimlessly wandering outside our solar system.

Let the Nibiru threads begin!

Thoughts?

Here are a few links:



www.msn.com...

www.independent.co.uk...

How can it be anything that matters to our solar system at 20 light years away?

Next nearest star is 4 light years away.

just 20 light-years from Earth

Yep. That's outside our solar system alright.

phys.org...

"We are saying, yes, there probably was a Nemesis, a long time ago," said co-author Steven Stahler, a UC Berkeley research astronomer.

"We ran a series of statistical models to see if we could account for the relative populations of young single stars and binaries of all separations in the Perseus molecular cloud, and the only model that could reproduce the data was one in which all stars form initially as wide binaries. These systems then either shrink or break apart within a million years."

New evidence that all stars are born in pairs

a reply to: Fools

It "matters" in that it's a very cool find.

One of the articles I read said that it's very rare for a planet to be "wandering" around alone through space without a parent star or system. Hence the term "rogue planet".

I think it's a really interesting find.

a reply to: Riffrafter

Its The Greatship!

Since the beginning of the universe, the giant starship wandered the emptiest reaches of space, without crew or course, much less any clear purpose. But humans found the relic outside the Milky Way, and after taking possession, they named their prize the Great Ship and embarked on a bold voyage through the galaxy’s civilized hearts.

Larger than worlds, the Great Ship is laced with caverns and oceans, scenes of exalted beauty and corners where no creature has ever stood. Habitats can be created for every intelligent species, provided that the passengers can pay for the honor of a berth, and the human captains make the rules and dispense the justice in what soon becomes thousands of alien species joined a wild, unpredictable journey.

originally posted by: Fools
How can it be anything that matters to our solar system at 20 light years away?

Next nearest star is 4 light years away.

Yeah, there are like 150 stars within 20 light years.

Calling it a planet implies that it must come from a star system. How would they know?

I think there has been a suggestion to call such objects sub-brown dwarf (planetary-mass brown dwarf). A number of them have been detected with masses 3 - 25 times that of Jupiter.

a reply to: Riffrafter

It says in the article that the object is 200 million years old. How do they know how old it is?

originally posted by: Alien Abduct
a reply to: Riffrafter

It says in the article that the object is 200 million years old. How do they know how old it is?

They'll just throw out some scientific sounding jargon that nobody can possibly verify, and state it as fact. Standard operating procedure.

Interesting and particularly so about star pairs ... perhaps mating pairs? (kidding, mostly)

The most startling thing, though, in regards to the article's title, would be finding a planet moving with purpose... "wandering aimlessly" at the whim of gravity is fine with me.

a reply to: Riffrafter

it may not be Nibiru, but it's still cool to me.
i hope one day we find the real Nibiru.

Wow! with our current technology we can only see the planets when they diminish the star brightness, and now they can see Nibiru 20 light years away.... don't doubt it but don't believe it.

Original link

A planet over 12 times bigger than Jupiter has been found drifting alone through space around 20 light years away from Earth.

The rogue planet is not attached to any star, and is the first object of its kind to be discovered using a radio telescope.

Both its mass and the enormous strength of its magnetic field challenge what scientists know about the variety of astronomical objects found in the depths of space. 

...snip ..

Similar to the aurora borealis or northern lights seen on Earth, this planet and some brown dwarves are known to have auroras of their own – despite lacking the solar winds that traditionally drive them.

It is the radio signature of these auroras that allowed the researchers to detect these distant objects in the first place, but it is still unclear how they are being formed.

However, the research team’s analysis showed the planet’s magnetic field is incredibly strong, around 200 times stronger than Jupiter’s, and this could help explain why it also has a strong aurora.

“This particular object is exciting because studying its magnetic dynamo mechanisms can give us new insights on how the same type of mechanisms can operate in extrasolar planets – planets beyond our solar system,” explained Dr Kao.

Okay, we may not be sending out Solar Sailers ..
or probes or visiting Mars,
or setting up Moon bases

Discovering new things "from home"
is still exciting !

a reply to: Riffrafter

I think its way creepy!

The object was actually discovered in 2006. iopscience.iop.org...

In 2017 is was determined that it is more planetlike than brown dwarfy. www.sciencedaily.com...

What has astrophysisicts now excited is the strength of its magnetic field. The new tool (VLA) gave them the ability to observe that for the first time and makes it possible that similar objects (as yet undetected) will be discovered.

originally posted by: manuelram16
Wow! with our current technology we can only see the planets when they diminish the star brightness, and now they can see Nibiru 20 light years away.... don't doubt it but don't believe it.

Well, they "saw" it with radio telescopes - not visible light telescopes.

It's starting to look like many people in the scientific world think it may be somewhat similar to a smaller version of a brown dwarf star.

originally posted by: Alien Abduct
a reply to: Riffrafter

It says in the article that the object is 200 million years old. How do they know how old it is?

I didn't see that - good catch. I have to re-read and I'll also try and find other sources as this is interesting on many levels to me.

As to your question - I have no idea. Maybe others here better versed in this can shed some light on it.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: Riffrafter

I think its way creepy!

Because of all the doomsday prophecies?

originally posted by: moebius

originally posted by: Fools
How can it be anything that matters to our solar system at 20 light years away?

Next nearest star is 4 light years away.

Yeah, there are like 150 stars within 20 light years.

Calling it a planet implies that it must come from a star system. How would they know?

I think there has been a suggestion to call such objects sub-brown dwarf (planetary-mass brown dwarf). A number of them have been detected with masses 3 - 25 times that of Jupiter.

It all boils down to how the object is formed. If it's through gravitational collapse of a large gas and dust cloud, it's a star (or a sub-stellar body like brown dwarf). If it's through accretion in a protoplanetary disc, it's a planet.

The intriguing part here is that we don't know how this particular body formed, so it could be either an oversized planet or a sub-brown dwarf.

originally posted by: Riffrafter
Scientists have discovered this huge "Rogue Planet" which also has a *very* strong magnetic field and a large aurora, aimlessly wandering outside our solar system.

www.msn.com...
www.independent.co.uk...

The strength of the magnetic field and Auroras caught my attention.
Auroras on Earth are produced by our magnetic field and charged particles from the Sun. Jupiter has a much stronger magnetic field and produces much bigger Auroras. Jupiter's moons have an affect on its Auroras yet does this interaction actually create their own charge (charged particles) or are they just affecting the charge from the Sun?

On Earth, these beautiful dancing lights in the sky are created by the interactions of our planet’s magnetic field and a barrage of particle-filled wind from the sun. But SIMP has no sun to pummel it with particles. Instead, scientists think the strange object’s auroras are driven by an orbiting planet or a moon.

So could it be the interactions between this planet and orbiting moons that create charge to light up the Auroras or could it be from galactic charged particles? I think it's very possible that galactic charged particles are influencing its magnetic field and creating this light show.