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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Flipside on November 14, 2012, 06:05:57 am

Title: Interesting Rogue Planet
Post by: Flipside on November 14, 2012, 06:05:57 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20309762

A Rogue planet a few times the size of Jupiter has been found about 100 Light Years away. That in itself is interesting, but not surprising considering how many there are suspected to be. What is fascinating about this planet is its age, which is 50-120 Million years old, it is being dragged along as driftwood by a group of 30 young stars of approximately the same age. That makes this planet a virtual newborn by cosmic standards :)

Title: Re: Interesting Rogue Planet
Post by: watsisname on November 14, 2012, 03:40:30 pm

Rogue planets are freaking scary.  It's believed that there are more rogue planets than there are stars in the galaxy.  (Ie, typical star formation process inevitably causes more than one planet on average to be thrown right out of the system)

I like to imagine the possibility of life existing on a tidally-heated Europa-like moon of a rogue gas giant.  How badass would that be?

Title: Re: Interesting Rogue Planet
Post by: Aardwolf on November 14, 2012, 04:51:25 pm

So... pitch black?

Title: Re: Interesting Rogue Planet
Post by: watsisname on November 14, 2012, 11:24:32 pm

Eeyup. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbK913Lzak)