Mind-Blowing Discovery: Rogue Planet Expands at an Unprecedented Rate of Six Billion Tons Per Second!

Astronomers have discovered an astonishing “growth spurt” in a rogue planet named Cha 1107-7626. Unlike typical planets that orbit stars, rogue planets float freely in space. Recently, using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), researchers found that this rogue planet is consuming gas and dust at an incredible rate of six billion tons per second. This is the fastest growth rate recorded for any planetary object and provides fresh insights into how these mysterious celestial bodies form.

Víctor Almendros-Abad, an astronomer leading the study, expressed excitement over the discovery. “People often think of planets as stable and quiet, but we see a different story here,” he said. Cha 1107-7626 is about five to ten times the mass of Jupiter and is located around 620 light-years away in the constellation Chamaeleon. It continues to grow by pulling in surrounding material, a process known as accretion, but at an accelerating rate.

Interestingly, this surge in mass accumulation is not a steady process. As of late August 2025, the planet’s accretion rate had increased significantly, drawing in material eight times faster than just months earlier. Almendros-Abad stated, “This is the strongest accretion episode ever recorded for a planetary-mass object.” Their findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

To make this discovery, scientists utilized the X-shooter spectrograph on the VLT and data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Co-author Aleks Scholz from the University of St Andrews pointed out that the origin of rogue planets is still a mystery. “We’re unsure if they are formed like stars or if they are giant planets thrown out from their home systems,” he explained.

The research indicates that some rogue planets might share formation traits with young stars. Observations reveal that similar bursts of accretion have been spotted in stars, suggesting a connection. Co-author Belinda Damian noted, “This discovery blurs the line between stars and planets and offers a glimpse into the early formation periods of rogue planets.”

By analyzing light changes before and during the growth surge, scientists discovered that magnetic activity likely influenced the mass inflow. This phenomenon, typically associated with stars, implies that even smaller celestial bodies can exhibit strong magnetic fields, which may fuel such dramatic accretion events.

Beyond that, the researchers found shifts in the chemical composition of the surrounding disk. Water vapor appeared during the accretion spurt—something observed in stars but new for planets. The challenge of spotting free-floating planets lies in their faintness, but the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) aims to change that. With its advanced capabilities, it will allow astronomers to explore more rogue planets and potentially reveal their star-like behaviors.

Amelia Bayo, another co-author from ESO, shared a thought-provoking idea: “The ability of a planetary object to act like a star is fascinating and prompts questions about what other worlds might be like during their early stages.”

Understanding rogue planets helps deepen our knowledge of the universe. Their unique characteristics and behaviors may hold keys to unraveling cosmic mysteries.

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