NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has identified a unique planetary-mass object named SIMP 0136, approximately 13 times the mass of Jupiter and located 20 light-years from Earth. The JWST's advanced infrared observations revealed complex atmospheric features, including signs of cloud layers and temperature variations. This discovery indicates that SIMP 0136 may share characteristics with gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, despite drifting through space without a star. The research, which expands on prior discoveries, suggests the object might also be a brown dwarf, blurring the line between planets and stars.
According to NASA, the 'planetary-mass' object, dubbed SIMP 0136, is roughly 13 times the mass of Jupiter, located just 20 light-years from Earth.
We already knew that it varies in brightness, and we were confident that there are patchy cloud layers that rotate in and out of view and evolve over time.
James Webb's Near-Infrared Spectrograph allowed scientists to observe a much wider spectrum of infrared light, leading to fascinating new insights into the lonely object.
Objects like SIMP 0136 could much in common with cloud giants in the solar system, like Jupiter and Saturn, which also have multiple cloud layers and high-altitude hot spots.
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