Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

NASA's Webb Telescope Reveals Complexity of Rogue Super-Jupiter SIMP 0136

New findings highlight intricate atmospheric dynamics, including patchy clouds, hot spots, and unique carbon chemistry, on the free-floating planetary-mass object 20 light-years away.

An illustration of the planetary-mass object SIMP 0136
View larger. | Artist's concept of SIMP 0136. It is a rogue super-Jupiter floating freely in space, with no star. New observations by NASA's Webb space telescope show that variations in the object's brightness can be explained by patchy clouds, hot spots and carbon chemistry. Image via NASA/ ESA/ CSA/ Joseph Olmsted (STScI).

Overview

  • SIMP 0136, a rogue 'super-Jupiter' 13 times the mass of Jupiter, drifts freely in space without orbiting a star and is located about 20 light-years from Earth in the Pisces constellation.
  • Observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveal complex atmospheric conditions, including patchy clouds made of iron and silicate particles, as well as high-altitude hot spots potentially linked to auroras.
  • The brightness variations observed on SIMP 0136 are caused by multiple atmospheric mechanisms rather than clouds alone, with distinct light curves showing changes in brightness across different wavelengths.
  • Carbon chemistry in the atmosphere, involving compounds like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, appears to vary across regions and depths, adding to the planet's atmospheric complexity.
  • SIMP 0136's rapid rotation (2.4 hours) and brightness make it an ideal subject for studying exoplanetary atmospheres, offering new insights into planetary-mass objects that challenge the boundaries between planets and brown dwarfs.