Thieving Stars Snatch Orphan Planets Our galaxy is thought to be teeming with billions of ‘nomad’ planets. These worlds are interstellar orphans, with no stellar parent to call home. Some were likely gravitationally flung from their parent star at an early age, while others may have evolved on their lonesome, clumping from small clouds of interstellar gas and dust.If there are so many orphaned worlds drifting alone, how often might they be snatched by the gravitational tug of a star that happens to be drifting in the same direction? keep reading

Thieving Stars Snatch Orphan Planets

Our galaxy is thought to be teeming with billions of ‘nomad’ planets. These worlds are interstellar orphans, with no stellar parent to call home. Some were likely gravitationally flung from their parent star at an early age, while others may have evolved on their lonesome, clumping from small clouds of interstellar gas and dust.

If there are so many orphaned worlds drifting alone, how often might they be snatched by the gravitational tug of a star that happens to be drifting in the same direction?

keep reading

Source: news.discovery.com

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