Newly discovered rogue planets provide insight into the freely floating worlds lingering throughout the Milky Way galaxy and the entire universe. Scientists believe that there is a chance these planets might be able to host long-sought extraterrestrial life.
Starless Rogue Planets
Last week, the European Space Agency (ESA) released the first scientific results from the Euclid space telescope since it was launched on July 1, 2023. The observation tool discovered seven more free-floating gas giants, which are at least four times the mass of Jupiter.
The new rogue planets were detected in the Orion Nebula, the closest star-forming region to us at around 1,500 light years away. The Euclid space telescope also confirmed the existence of dozens of other rogue planets previously detected by other telescopes.
The data from Euclid also provides clues as to how the starless worlds are created. It is assumed that some of them are formed in the outer regions of a planetary system before drifting away from their host star.
Can Rogue Planet Sustain Life?
As free-floating worlds, rogue planets are not bound to a star, as our planet is to the Sun. This means that these planets have no days or years, making them languish in endless nights. It is also estimated that trillions of starless worlds are scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy.
Since rogue planets do not reflect the light of a host star, spotting them has been a major challenge to astronomers. Fortunately, younger planets, like those detected by Euclid, are hotter, so they are a little easier to find.
Some scientists believe that there could be about 20 rogue planets for every star. This would put their number in the trillions in the Milky Way galaxy alone. Since there are hundreds of billions of galaxies across the cosmos, the possible number of free-floating planets would be very difficult to fathom. As NASA's Roman space telescope is set to launch in 2027, scientists expect to discover many more starless worlds, possibly providing clarity about their actual number.
However, not all rogue planets wander alone in space. As a matter of fact, Euclid confirmed that over 20 of them might be binaries, or two planets that orbit each other in a single system. According to Spanish astronomer Eduardo Martin, the discovery of the new rogue planets was likely just the beginning of more astronomical finds.
If rogue planets show signs of habitability, then they could unlock the key to humanity's search for extraterrestrial life. Since they lack heat from a host star, free-floating planets are assumed to be cold and covered with frozen surfaces. This means that any form of energy that would support life would come from the planet's interior.
This concept is actually observed in the members of the Solar System. For instance, most of the energy in Neptune comes from within since it is very far from the Sun at 2.78 billion miles (4.47 billion kilometers). Here on Earth, geothermal vents enable animals to survive even without seeing the rays of the Sun.
However, even under the best conditions, the extreme isolation of rogue planets would likely be able to support only microbial life.
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