Bright, young Jupiter-like 'orphan' found floating nearby
This artist's conception illustrates a Jupiter-like planet alone in the dark of space, floating freely without a parent star. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech A baby 'orphan' has been identified as one of the youngest and brightest planet-like masses in our solar neighbourhood. The object, named 2MASS J11193254−1137466 (henceforth 2MASS), is thought to be the second-brightest free-floating planetary object known to science, and a member of the youngest star group closest to the Sun. Brown dwarfs are objects that weigh in with masses slightly larger than planets but are too small to be stars. They are often identifiable by their incredibly bright appearance in the infrared, and this is what tipped off ...
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