Experts discover huge rogue planet growing at fastest rate ever detected
Astronomers make shock discovery about ‘rogue planet’
- Astronomers have discovered a significant growth spurt in a rogue planet, Cha 1107-7626, located about 630 light-years away.
- The free-floating planet is consuming gas and dust at an unprecedented rate of six billion tonnes per second, the strongest growth rate ever recorded for any planet.
- Observations from the European Southern Observatory in Chile revealed the planet's accretion rate became approximately eight times faster by August 2025.
- The findings suggest that magnetic activity, previously only observed in stars, plays a role in the planet's growth, blurring the distinction between stars and planets.
- During the accretion episode, water vapour was detected around the planet, indicating a transformation in the chemistry of its surrounding disc.