The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered Jupiter-sized “planets” floating in space without being connected to any star. These objects, referred to as Jupiter Mass Binary Objects or “JuMBOs,” were identified by the JWST during a survey of the Orion Nebula. Around 40 pairs of these objects were found, which are too small to be stars and do not fit the conventional definition of a planet since they are not orbiting a parent star. Astronomers are currently at a loss for an explanation for these mysterious objects.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has proposed two possible explanations for the origin of these massive objects. The first is that they developed in regions of the nebula where there was not enough material density to form fully-fledged stars. The second possibility is that they formed around stars but were eventually expelled due to gravitational interactions.
The ESA’s senior science adviser suggests that the ejection hypothesis is currently favored, as gas physics indicates that objects with the mass of Jupiter should not be able to form on their own. However, the question remains of how pairs of these objects could be expelled together.
Dr. Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, suggests that the discovery in the Orion Nebula, a star-forming area, hints at the possibility that existing models and explanations for planetary formation and evolution may be incomplete. He emphasizes that astronomers have not yet explained everything in the field of astrophysics, and this discovery may bring about new understandings.
The JWST, launched in 2021 and collecting data since 2022, has significantly advanced our understanding of the early universe and captured stunning images of the cosmos. It has revealed the existence of the earliest-known galaxies and black holes, providing unprecedented data. The Webb telescope is approximately 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope.