JWST finds mini planetary systems around rogue planets
The James Webb Space Telescope just found six giant planets drifting alone.
Unlike most planets, these are five to 10 times bigger than Jupiter and don't orbit any star—yet they might have their own mini planetary systems.
How did scientists spot these disks?
Between August and October 2024, JWST picked up warm dust disks around these rogue planets.
Inside those disks, scientists spotted silicate grains growing and crystallizing—a key early step in building new worlds.
It's the first time this kind of planet-forming material has been seen around objects like these.
What does this mean for planet formation?
This discovery shows that planet formation doesn't always need a star.
Finding mini-systems around rogue planets suggests there's more than one way for planetary systems to take shape in our galaxy—opening up some pretty wild possibilities for how worlds can form.