Astronomers have discovered auroras on SIMP 0136, a planet-sized object in the Milky Way galaxy without a star. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists tracked the weather patterns of this rogue object and made groundbreaking discoveries.
SIMP 0136 is a young and fast-spinning brown dwarf that resembles a giant planet but does not orbit a star. It radiates leftover heat rather than sunlight reflected from a star, making it an ideal target for spectroscopy. The telescope’s near infrared spectrograph and mid infrared instrument captured the object’s rotation and temperature changes.
The team found that SIMP 0136 has a thermal inversion in its stratosphere, with temperatures rising again higher up rather than falling. This signature is similar to those observed on Jupiter, where global upper atmosphere heating is tied to polar auroras. The study provides some of the most precise measurements of an extra-solar object’s atmosphere to date.
Researchers used spectroscopy to analyze the light emitted by SIMP 0136 and found signs of a heated upper layer and weather shifts tied to chemistry. Clouds on this planet are not made of water but instead consist of silicate grains, which condense deep down in its atmosphere. The team also detected small-scale storms that affect the object’s chemistry.
The study’s findings have significant implications for future space missions aimed at studying habitable planets and other celestial objects. By studying the weather patterns of SIMP 0136, scientists can develop new techniques to read winds, clouds, and heat flows on smaller, cooler targets. The discovery showcases the complex weather systems that can exist on worlds without stars.
SIMP 0136 is a remarkable object that offers scientists a unique opportunity to study the physics of rogue planets and their atmospheres.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-captures-weather-report-from-starless-rogue-planet-simp-0136