SMRTR Science & EngineeringJan 5, 2026Science Daily

Astronomers measure the mass of a rogue planet drifting through the galaxy

SMRTR summary

Astronomers successfully measured the mass and distance of a free-floating planet by observing a microlensing event simultaneously from Earth and the Gaia space telescope, overcoming typical detection limitations for these dim objects. The Saturn-mass planet, located 3,000 parsecs from the galaxy's center, likely formed around a star before gravitational forces ejected it into interstellar space.

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