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.

• 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.

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