NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected a mysterious object, dubbed SIMP 0136, floating through interstellar space. The “planetary-mass” object is roughly 13 times the mass of Jupiter and located just 20 light-years from Earth. According to researchers, SIMP 0136 exhibits complex atmospheric features, including possible cloud layers and temperature shifts.
The team used the JWST’s infrared light observations to gather data on SIMP 0136. They found signs of patchy clouds and bright “hot spots,” possibly related to auroras, far above the clouds. The researchers also observed pockets of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Astronomers believe that objects like SIMP 0136 could be similar to cloud giants in our solar system, such as Jupiter and Saturn, which have multiple cloud layers and high-altitude hot spots. However, they are also considering the possibility that it’s a brown dwarf – an object between a planet and a star.
This discovery builds on existing observations by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The researchers ran detailed light curves against atmospheric models to better understand SIMP 0136’s atmosphere. They found evidence for patchy clouds and bright “hot spots,” possibly related to auroras, far above the clouds.
Source: https://futurism.com/james-webb-planetary-mass-object