Webb Telescope Detects intense Auroras on Lone Rogue Planet
Washington D.C. – In a groundbreaking discovery,the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected powerful auroras enveloping SIMP-0136,a rogue planet drifting through space without a host star. The findings, published recently, mark the first direct measurement of atmospheric changes on an extrasolar object and offer new insights into the atmospheric dynamics of these enigmatic wanderers.
SIMP-0136, first discovered in 2000, is a free-floating planet – a “rogue planet” – not orbiting a star.Astronomers estimate billions to trillions of these planets may exist within the Milky Way Galaxy, forming either through ejection from star systems or as sub-brown dwarf stars. Despite their prevalence, studying these objects is challenging due to their faintness and isolation.
The JWST observations revealed an average temperature exceeding 1,500°C (2,732°F),considerably hotter than Jupiter and far surpassing the temperatures of Saturn (-145°C / -229°F and -178°C / -288°F,respectively). Researchers were able to measure temperature fluctuations of less than 5°C, linking these changes to variations in the planetS chemical composition.
“These are some of the most precise measurements of the atmosphere of any extrasolar object to date, and the first time that changes in the atmospheric properties have been directly measured,” said dr. Evert Nasedkin, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Trinity College Dublin and lead author of the study.
The observed atmospheric variances are attributed to intense auroras – similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot – rotating into view. This builds upon earlier JWST data analyzed in a March 2025 study,published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters,which identified atmospheric clouds,hot spots,and carbon chemistry variances. While the previous study couldn’t pinpoint the cause of these changes,the new research confirms the auroras,alongside a thermal inversion,are responsible.
Astronomers emphasize the extremely low probability of a rogue planet entering our Solar System and posing a threat to Earth. Future observations from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, slated for launch in May 2027, are expected to refine estimates of the rogue planet population.
This discovery opens new avenues for understanding the formation, evolution, and atmospheric processes of rogue planets, offering a unique window into planetary systems beyond our own.
Original Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/james-webb-spots-intense-auroras-on-nearby-rogue-planet
